After Daybreak II - a rewrite
by zombiebunnie96
Summary: The story of Renesmee Cullen's life, from birth and on. This is a rewrite of my current fanfic, Daybreak. I didn't like how I'd written it for the most part, so I'm re-doing a good portion of it. I won't be deleting the original Daybreak, but if I write a sequel, it will be continuing from this one. This story will focus on Renesmee's life from birth until she stops aging.
1. Chapter 1

Before this begins, I'd like to address some stuff. I sort of lost my muse for writing/continuing Daybreak and its sequel.. kind of. I have reached a point once again where I don't like how I've written it. I feel as if I lacked in giving Renesmee a legitimate personality and story, and I sort of want to rewrite it. That is what this will be. If you like Daybreak as is, you don't need to read this. The first main chapters from BD will be pretty much the same, but with giving our main character a lot more depth. Even with our most perfect characters in TTS, they almost all have some defining quality or trait that sets them apart or is some kind of "imperfection", i.e., Bella's stubbornness, Edward's temper/moods, Rosalie's envy, Jasper's lack of self control, etc. I just feel like it wouldn't be right (or, doable,) to write a sequel to the current Daybreak. If I do end up writing a sequel, it will be to this story. There may also be a story that is just one-shots of sorts. This is also helping me get my muse back, because I, being the occasionally dimwitted thing I am, spent almost five years to create and finish a story. Near the end, I was losing my muse, thus panicking, and rushing the end of the story. I feel so bad about this because Daybreak / Forever Sunrise was like, my biggest passion and pride for those years, and I want to be able to be proud of it again.

If you guys don't like or agree with this, I completely understand. I thank you for your support over the years, regardless.

P.S., most chapters will contain multiple chapters from the original Daybreak.

Chapter 1

 _I can't breathe!_ I shouted in my mind, knowing my father could hear me from how he did before. I could hear my mother's screams in pain. Did I cause it this time, again? I heard a loud crack, her spine, but I hadn't moved. All my mind could do was focus on one thing: _I can't breathe,_ _ **I can't breathe**_ _._ I could hear my mother scream for them to " _get him out_." I could hear something scratching from above me, like someone scratching their nails against a sheet of metal. I could feel light against my eyelids, cold air against my skin, as two cold hands lifted me up, out of my mother. The unexpected cold sent a shock through me. I could hear her heart faltering as I opened my eyes, gasping for air.

I could see. I could also feel a pull in another direction behind me; a heart, beating faster than momma's had. Then I looked around and saw many different things: my father, windows facing trees, their leaves different shades of green, brown bark, grass, dirt, the sky. So much to take in. My mind almost spun with all of the new sights and information. Then my eyes flashed to my mother as daddy said in a soft, somewhat proud voice, " _Renesmee._ " It wasn't hard to make the connection between this voice and the one I'd heard before now. Until that moment, my mind had connected my existence with the words _baby_ and _EJ,_ the other words that referred to me.

So that was my name; Renesmee. I was not focusing on that now, though. I let my mind focus on her voice, her heart, everything I'd known about my mother, with my eyes focused on daddy's. I saw a slight smile on my father's face.

"Renes... mee... Give her... to me," momma's voice croaked in a hoarse whisper. Daddy handed me to her, her arms very delicately reaching up around me. I snuggled into the warmth instantly, though my father's arms were not too cold for me- I was simply so used to the warmth. I smiled for the first time at her thin, frail face, and she smiled back as best as she could. I could still hear her heart, quickly getting slower and more uneven. My instincts kicked in: I bit her right over her chest. Not out of the slight burning in my throat, but to save her. She gasped in pain as I bit, and I instantly felt bad.

Daddy instantly took me from her arms. "No, Renesmee," he chided. I attempted to apologize out loud, but I could not figure out how to speak. I just apologized in my head. And then I heard it, Momma's heart stopped. Daddy's eyes widened, the already dark gold turning a much darker black, and I heard another gasp from the direction the pull I felt had been coming from.

"Edward, give me the baby," A woman with curly blonde hair insisted from across the room. Her eyes were a much lighter shade of gold. "I'm under control now." Daddy hesitantly handed me over to her, her arms cold as well. I felt oddly comfortable in the chilled embrace. I could hear also; the woman's shoes clicking against the wooden floor, the sound of a television downstairs, and the forced beating of Momma's heart.

"I'm your aunt Rosalie," the woman whose name I now knew as Rosalie said, interrupting my thoughts. I looked at her and smiled, and she reflected a smile back at me. She was very pretty to me, just like momma was, even if she was very sick. I remember hearing her voice not too long ago, but I couldn't make out the words at the time. She carried me into a room with tile on the floor, a large bathtub against the wall, and a sink next to it. It smelled clean. Aunt Rosalie turned a handle and water poured out. She squirted a bit of transparent purple liquid into the water, which was now turning into white bubbles. I could smell lavender and a small hint of vanilla. It reminded me of the scent of my parents. I thought of them as the water rose, worried about momma, until aunt Rosalie spoke again.

"Let's wash that blood off of you, okay?" she asked me in a cooing voice. I nodded in reply and her honey eyes widened slightly at my answer, "you understood that, honey?" She watched me as I nodded once again. I still couldn't form a reply, not yet, at least. Something in my mind told me to use my hands to talk, but how? I felt confused. "You're very smart, baby," she said, a still slightly shocked expression on her face, but the gentle coo remaining in her tone.

Aunt Rosalie carefully placed me in the water, which was up to my upper stomach. It was warm, but not too warm, and it smelled strongly of the lavender and vanilla. I wrinkled my nose; it smelled almost _too_ strongly of it. Rosalie giggled at my expression a bit. She took a dark purple washcloth and washed the blood off of my me carefully, turning the water a very light shade of transparent pink. I could see the color of my skin now- similar to my father and aunt's, but also to momma's. It was pale, but not too pale; an extra splash of pink that they didn't have. She took a bottle something, the front of the bottle said some strange word in symbols, letters I couldn't make out. She thought for a second, scrunching her brows together, then her eyes widened a bit, like she had a good idea. She then picked up a second bottle of the same thing, popping open the lids on both.

"Okay, Renesmee. Which would you prefer?" she asked as she held both bottles out to me. I leaned in and smelled each one. Both were strong, like the lavender and vanilla, but they were different. The first one she had grabbed; the color of the liquid inside was light pink, and it smelled very lightly of flowers, but I liked these ones. They smelled... slightly deeper than the others. Still strong, but it didn't sting my nose like the other had. I smelled the other one as well; the liquid was an orange color and smelled very citrus-y. I liked it, but I liked the other one better. I reached my arm out to the pink bottle of shampoo and tapped my fingertips to it lightly.

"Roses," she stated softly, laughing softly. What I smelled was roses? I liked them. I smiled back at her, and tried to form the word in my head. Rose, rose, rose, rose, I repeated in my mind.

"W...W..." was all that I could get out. Her face beamed at my attempt. I pouted slightly, I wished I could speak. I almost felt a pulling in my hands, as if my mind was telling me to try to speak with them as I did with my mouth. As aunt Rose, as I now called her, put one fourth of a handful in the curls that went down to my ears, she spoke softly to me.

"Aw, honey, don't be sad. You're actually very intelligent for your age." I smiled happily at her, and did what my first instinct had been telling me to do in response to speaking as she washed my hair: I softly placed my hand against her arm, showing her what I had smelled, the word I was trying to say, " _rose_." Once again, her eyes widened. She continued washing my hair silently for a moment. I let my eyes wander around the room, taking in the decorations and colors of the tiles.

"Wow," she breathed. "Renesmee, you'll have to show that to your Grandpa Carlisle. I removed my hand from her arm and placed it back into the pink-purple water and nodded at her. She smiled softly at me and rinsed my hair, instructing me to lean my head back so no soap would get into my eyes, and I did. After that, she carefully took me out of the bath, wrapping a light blue towel around me and lifting me up into her arms. I softly placed my hand on the side of her neck, showing her my like for the color of the towel. It felt nicer to speak this way.

"Blue," she said simply. I smiled and nodded, not trying to speak aloud when I could communicate this way. It felt much more natural. She carried me to another room. The walls were a light shade of pale yellow with a white carpet, paintings and decorations on the walls. She sat me gently on a bed in the center of the room. I placed my hand on the blankets, petting them a bit. _Soft_. I was amazed by everything around me, even the blankets. It's all so new.

Aunt Rosalie walked over and held up two outfits. Well, dresses, really. One was white with a very pale tan pattern on the bottom. The other was a bright red with white swirls on the sleeves. I could smell the different scents of the materials. I pointed at the white dress; I thought it was pretty. She helped me get dressed in it and toweled off my curls, then brushing them out: it felt nice. She wrapped me back up in a pink blanket, in case I got cold, I figured, and lifted me back up, carrying me downstairs into another room.

This one had a small area in the back with fire in it, crackling. I could smell the burning wood, but it wasn't overwhelming. It was calming. I thought it was beautiful. There were two couches, each on opposite sides of the room, and a chair, facing a television, with a coffee table in the center. Then I noticed it again; the burn in my throat. Nothing had triggered the burn this time, but a soft growl in my stomach joined with it. I urgently placed my palm against her throat, and she nodded.

"You're just thirsty, Renesmee," she said simply. She carried me into a room with marble counter tops, a hard wood floor, and different cabinets. All of the different scents rushed to me. There was a lot of different things in here. She took a metal bottle out of one of the cabinets and took the lid off the top. She proceeded to grab a bag of red liquid, blood, out of the fridge, pouring it into the bottle. As soon as the smell met my nose, the burn intensified. She placed it into a small box, a microwave, for a few seconds. As it warmed, I grew impatient. The burn in my throat was really beginning to hurt. I patted her arm urgently, glancing at her eyes. "It's almost done, sweetheart," she assured me. She then took it back out, placing the lid back on and carried me to a white couch, facing away from the stairs.

She sat down, holding me in one arm, the bottle in the other, and she handed it to me carefully, keeping her hand on it as I grabbed it, being careful to drink the blood out of it. It very easily soothed the burn in my throat, calming me instantly. I continued drinking the blood out until it made an odd sound, and instead of blood I got air. Aunt Rosalie carefully took it from my hands and placed it on the table. She wiped my lips off, as I listened to the crackling wood behind me. "Don't want to stain your pretty dress," she smiled softly.

I could hear thumps, footsteps coming down the stairs as Rosalie lifted me up into the air a bit. A different scent met my nose. Warm, something different, like nature- trees, plants, earth, along with other warm, calming scents. Honey, cinnamon, brown sugar.

In the few minutes we had been gone though, not much happened: momma was still dying, her heart being forced to beat. I felt... terrible. I felt at fault. She deserves to live. But then I could hear another heartbeat, coming from the direction of the footsteps and the warm scent. It was a heavy, hearty sound, much heavier and faster than momma's had ever beat. I could also feel a pull in that direction, the same I had felt earlier. If I could, I would make myself move in that direction. Aunt Rose paid no attention to it, but I couldn't help it. He walked closer, very quietly and carefully, and leaned into a dangerous looking crouch, anger and hatred burning in his eyes, tears evident on his cheeks and in his eyes.

I looked at him, trying to figure out who he was. Had I heard him before? My mind flashed through all of the voices from before I was born. He was tan, much, much more than anyone I had seen so far. He also appeared to be very tall, and strong, given the muscles he had. His hair was jet black and semi-short. He had dark brown, almost black eyes which were filled with hate. They seemed too pretty to be so angry. I noticed that he was shaking slightly, his whole body convulsing, until I focused on his eyes. His shaking jerked to a stop and he slowly softened out of his crouch, and fell softly to his knees. I could see, and almost feel, something changing. In the air, in who he was, in who I was. I felt as though I needed him here, to protect me, keep me safe, and help me when I needed. And then aunt Rose whispered his name. She said it in a hateful way, through clenched teeth, a tone that I didn't like. I felt the opposite for him.

"Jacob."

Chapter 2

I was already falling asleep, and Aunt Rosalie had noticed. She laid me on the couch as she got up, whispering something to Jacob which was too low for me to hear. All I could hear was them arguing in low, harsh whispers. My name was mentioned, as were things like the words, "hurt," "love," and "not like that." I didn't understand, so I didn't dwell on it. I just wished they wouldn't seem so upset.

As I fell asleep, I dreamed of.. pretty much nothing, for a little. Then my momma's face, her sick, pale face, kept coming to mind, along with her scent. Then, daddy's, then Jacob's, then Rose's, all along with different color's to match how I saw them, shapes, too. I dreamed of flowers, the smell of the soaps from earlier, how everyone else had smelled.

It all slowly faded and my eyes opened to see no sunlight shining through the windows. I was in cold arms, ones I did not recognize. I didn't feel fear, however, but surprise. I felt comfortable in the cold arms, I _'m safe here_. I thought for a second, taking in their scent and looking up at them; golden eyes, like aunt Rose's and daddy's, but short and slightly spiky brown hair. She had a pixie-shaped face with high cheekbones, and seemed... sweet. She smelled like lilies, lemons, and sugar.

She looked down at me and a bright smile instantly lit up her face.

"Aw, you _do_ have Bella's eyes!" was the first thing to come from her. Her voice was high and cheery, "Oh, and I'm your Aunt Alice, by the way, Renesmee. It's so nice to finally see you," she said, placing a light kiss on my forehead. I placed my palm lightly against her neck, showing her momma's face, and asking if she was alright, showing my worry for her. I'd barely heard my new aunt's voice before, also.

Aunt Alice simply nodded at me, and I smiled at her, so happy that she was alive and well. She also told me that she wasn't around much before I was born because it "made her head hurt." It didn't as much now, she assured me. I kept my hand there, showing her daddy, my Jacob, and Rose, asking where they were.

"Well, sweetie, they're out hunting, Rosalie and Edward are. You have no idea how hard it was to get Edward to go hunting, but he'll be back in a few minutes, I believe. Jacob is in the kitchen, eating," she giggled a bit at the end. I smiled at her and nodded again. I was about to ask her if she could take me to see Jacob, but someone walked in. He seemed a bit older than everyone I had seen so far. He had short, blonde hair and golden eyes, as I noticed most people had, aside from Momma and my Jacob. He looked aged, but young in his face. His scent was clean, fresh air,along with melon. I looked back at Aunt Alice, letting her see my confusion as to who he was.

She looked up at him, and then spoke softly to me, "That's your grandpa Carlisle, Renesmee." I smiled to him and reached my arms out for him. I'd built up the courage to try calling out my grandpa's name, but all that still came were mumbles and odd sounds. I decided, in my frustration, to stick to my current favorite way of communication for good. It was much easier, and felt much more natural.

He chuckled lightly, "Renesmee, it's alright. You're only a day old, nobody really expects you to speak with perfect english yet. It's okay." He picked me up from Aunt Alice's arms and spoke softly to me. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to take some measurements of you. I had taken some while you were asleep, but it's necessary to, until your growth slows down a bit, to do this twice, maybe three times a day."

I simply nodded at him, smiling a bit. Smiling was easy, and I enjoyed doing it. However, I didn't know what he meant by 'measuring'. Grandpa carried me upstairs and into a new room. There was a desk, countless shelves of books; there had to be hundreds of books, and papers, pens, complex, yet intriguing looking things. He, very carefully and gently, sat me on a desk, which already had a soft blanket on it, and was cleared of papers and pens. I had wanted to see what they were- they seemed so strange. I reached a hand out towards a pen, just out of my reach, and made a grabbing motion with that hand. He chuckled quietly, handing the pen to me. I turned it around in my hands as he measured me, amazed when it _click_ ed in my hand.

I watched with interest as Grandpa then got a tape measure and nothing else; he must have had a perfect memory, and wrapped it around one of my arms, one of my legs, my waist, and my head. He smiled a bit at me as I fumbled with the small writing utensil, "Renesmee, do you think you could stand up, or should I help you up?" I thought for a second, and, when I thought about it, I hadn't even been given the chance to try yet. I nodded once, not being able to tell him which I'd like to do, and reached one hand out for him to at least help me onto my feet. I kept my new toy tightly grasped in my free hand.

He gave me his hand and I could only grab a few fingers, but managed to, unbalanced, stand up, wobbling very slightly, because of my age, I guess. I reached one hand out to the wall next to me, letting my pen drop and clatter against the deck, and as I placed my other hand there, let go of Grandpa's. He somewhat stared at me, and I knew he was shocked. This wasn't normal, I knew. I should be growing slowly. I shouldn't be standing on my own.

Grandpa put the tape measure on the desk right next to my feet and pulled it up to my head, and I saw the many numbers and lines on it. He looked at it for a few long seconds before slowly letting the thin measure _snap_ back in, and placing it on a shelf near his books. He sighed a bit, "Renesmee, I'm sure you'd like to know how much you've grown," I thought about it, then nodded once, "well, you've grown three and a half inches in your sleep, height-wise." I didn't necessarily know how much that was, but I guess that it was a lot. I could feel my legs wobbling under me. I simply nodded at him, and, to get him to understand what I wanted, reached both of my arms out, no longer leaning on the wall, for him to lift me up. I didn't want to fall.

I noticed that I was still having trouble balancing, putting my weight evenly on both feet. He looked surprised, but less than before as he lifted me up. I placed my palm to his cheek, showing him Jacob's face, asking where he was, and where my Daddy and Momma were.

"Jacob is in the kitchen, and yes I'll take you to him," he said softly, and a bit awkwardly, "Edward is upstairs with your mother, as she is changing into a vampire as we speak. Also, she is doing exceptionally well. A bit quiet, but very well." I felt much better after hearing that.

Grandpa carried me into the kitchen, where my Jacob sat at the table, a fork in his hand, eating something that smelled... odd, to say the least. I instantly reached both hands out for him, not noticing anything else. As soon as he saw me, he sat his fork on the plate of what he was eating, and came to me, Grandpa handing me to him. I embraced the warmth he gave off, though I didn't dislike the cold in the slightest. I hugged my Jacob around the neck, the first person for me to do that to, and I saw him smile. Then I pulled away, letting him hold me as I looked around.

I had been in this room before, and I noticed it was full of shiny things. I instantly loved them. I adored how the light sparkled off of them, glimmering a beautiful pure white, with rainbows shooting off of it. I wanted to show Jacob, so I did, putting my hand to his cheek and pushing the images of the light into his head. He chuckled lightly, nodding.

"Yes, it's beautiful." he said to me in an adoring voice. Then I noticed Grandpa standing next to a woman who looked rather motherly, with a warm face. She had long, dark brown hair, a bit of auburn on the parts that were in the sunlight. I looked at them both, then just at her, asking my Jacob who she was. I sniffed the air, taking in her different scent, much sweeter, like wild flowers and fresh fruit.

"What's she saying?" I heard Grandpa ask. Jacob told him, "she wants to know who Esme is." I smiled brightly and nodded. The woman named Esme walked over to us, reaching her arms to Jacob and I.

"May I?" she asked, softly and gingerly as Jacob hesitatedly handed me over to her. She cradled me in her arms, very lovingly. She spoke softly to me, "Renesmee, I'm your Grandma. You can call me anything you'd like, but my name is Esme." I placed my hand to her cheek, _Grandma,_ I repeated to her, smiling happily. Her scent was very soothing.

She smiled happily and rather proudly at me, "Your gift is a reverse of your father's, I see." I was confused. _Gift_? She nodded, answering my question.

"Yes, honey. Your father can read minds, your Aunt Alice can see the future, and your Uncle Jasper, whom I know you have yet to meet, can feel and alter others' emotions," she explained to me. So, that was how daddy had known what I was thinking.

I felt the burn in my throat returning again, and showed grandma Esme what I felt. She nodded and whispered something to Grandpa, something about formula, whatever that was. I watched as Grandpa prepared something white, and put it in the same metal bottle that aunt Rose had used. He brought it over to where I was at in Grandma's arms.

"Renesmee, my darling, we need you to try this. It's called formula. We simply need to know if you can ingest this, along with other human food, as opposed to only blood," he explained carefully to me. I liked how he treated me as an equal, to some extent, and not a baby. Letting me know what was going on, telling me things I needed to know. However, I _wanted_ my blood. I momentarily considered simply refusing to even try the formula, but didn't. The burn in my throat was getting stronger, and I wanted to soothe it above my food preferences.

I nodded at Grandpa, and he carefully brought the bottle close to me. I sniffed the end of it, trying to get a sense of what I was trying, and it smelled.. well, absolutely repulsive, to be brutally honest. I didn't want it anywhere near me, so I shook my head a few times, now noticing my curls were an inch or two longer, a bit more below my jawline. I tried to shove myself away from the disgusting liquid, but was unable to, held securely.

He sighed, not impatiently, but I couldn't tell how. "Please, honey? We just need to know." I deliberated it for a second, weighing the gross scent and my hunger, and then lifted my hands up, holding the bottle as he continued to help hold it for me, as well. I took the end of it in my mouth and sucked a bit. The "formula" tasted... Oh my goodness, it tasted _terrible_. I couldn't help but make a face and spit it out. I shook my head quickly. No, no, no, no, no. I don't like it. I pushed the bottle away gently, not wanting to be rude. I touched grandma Esme's neck, the closest skin I could reach, _demanding something._ Anything, just none of that.

Grandpa sighed and took the bottle to the sink, emptying it and rinsing it out, and filling it with a bag of blood. The scent reached my nose and both intensified and soothed the burning- it wasn't unbearable, just uncomfortable. I smiled at him, silently thanking him, though I then remembered he couldn't hear my thoughts. Grandpa brought it to me and I smiled at him, nodding, thanking him again. I drank it quickly and let go of the bottle as I finished it- the burn/ache fully gone.

Grandma Esme carried me into the living room, with the couches and good-smelling fireplace, my Jacob coming with the both of us. I felt a bit tired again, and placed my palm to Grandma's cheek, showing her. She smiled warmly at me and nodded.

"You can take a little nap, dear. It's alright," she said to me. I smiled softly and said my thank you to her, letting myself drift off to sleep to the smell of the crackling fire and the sound of my Jacob's heartbeat only a few feet away.


	2. Chapter 2

**NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.**

 **I need to included sections from the book of Breaking Dawn for this story to remain accurate, mainly specific wording from the characters. Please note that this is not an attempt to copyright, only trying to keep this fanfiction accurate to the canon book. Thanks!**

This time that I slept, I dreamed of nothing, really, aside from a few colors and shapes, different patterns, scents, and sounds to match. When I woke up, I was in my Jacob's arms, and he was asleep as well. I looked out the one of the large windows forming the walls of the room and noticed that it was night time, based on how dark it was. However, the sky was dark blue, and not black, as I knew it should be. I then knew it was either late afternoon or very early in the morning. I could hear birds chirping.

Aunt Rosalie was sitting on the couch opposite of Jacob and I with a large, very strong looking man. She must have noticed me looking because she turned her head and looked at me, smiling happily, her face lighting up a bit.

"Good morning, Renesmee. Seems like you're up early," she said, the man next to her chuckling and smiling as well. I smiled back, nodding; it must be early in the morning. My Jacob was still asleep, however, and was beginning to snore. I patted his cheek lightly with my hand, not wanting to hurt him, but it had no effect. My eyebrows furrowed together in frustration, I wanted him awake. However, I didn't want to hurt or disturb him, so I simply sent him images of the few things I had experienced that I thought he would like. The sunshine glimmering off of pots and pans, silverware, too, the darkness I had just seen no more than a few minutes ago, and the smell of the odd scented food he'd had from earlier. I could feel aunt Rose and the person next to her's eyes on me, watching my attempt.

He smiled at the last one and I found that funny, so I smiled, too, still not knowing or understanding which reaction would fit. I also showed him how he looked when he smiled, hoping he would see it in his dreams, and his eyes opened a bit, peeking down at me.

"Morning, Renesmee," he said groggily to me, a slight smile on his still half-asleep face. I smiled and nodded back at him, my form of "good morning."

Aunt Rosalie sat up a bit, chuckling, "Enjoy your nap, mutt? You were starting to snore like a bear." Suddenly the man next to her looked at her, seeming amused.

"Hey, Rose, I don't snore!" he exclaimed, slight humor in his tone of voice. I smiled at him, but didn't know who he was. Was he with aunt Rosalie? Jacob must have heard my confusion, because he laughed a bit and told me the man's name: Emmett. He said that Emmett was my uncle, and aunt Rosalie was his wife; they were married. Then I showed him grandma Esme and grandpa Carlisle, also momma and daddy's faces.

"Yes, they're married too," he explained. But, then I was confused about dunt Alice, was she married? As if on cue, she walked downstairs, holding the hand of a somewhat thin-but-tough looking man, his hair was honey-colored, matching his eyes. He seemed as if he was naturally nervous, so I reached my hand out, waving to him and smiling at him. I wanted to call out to aunt Alice, and ask who he was, but I didn't really want to bother. My "gift" was much easier, even if I couldn't always use it.

She was cheery as always, and walked toward me, leaving the man at the bottom of the stairs; he seemed nearly frozen in that spot. As she neared my Jacob and I, I could feel him tighten his hold on me slightly. Aunt Alice crossed her arms in front of us, looking a bit angry.

"Come on, Jacob, you've held her long enough," she said to him, actually frustrated now. I noticed that I was thirsty then, the gentle burning in my throat growing very slowly. I patted Jacob on the arm, but he didn't seem to notice. Alice's person was still by the stairs, nearly-black eyes locked on my chipper aunt, and Rose and Emmett watching Jacob and aunt Alice, amused.

"Just another hour, pixie," he said roughly at her. I didn't like the way they were acting to each other, and I was already frustrated and in slight pain from my throat. Nobody was looking at me, and the burn in my throat only grew. I did the only thing I could really think of doing to get their attention; I bit my Jacob's hand. He'd never smelled like his blood would taste good, but it was all I could think of, aside from crying. He winced and quickly, yet carefully gave me to aunt Alice, walking to the kitchen. I noticed that he had a few drops of blood coming from the bite, but it was already healing. All he did was rinse it off, and walk back in.

He chuckled lightly, "She doesn't like arguing.. And, she's hungry." aunt Alice instantly smiled, practically jumping. "And apparently not venomous," someone chimed in.

"My turn to feed her!" Alice exclaimed, all I could do was nod in approval; aunt Alice was nice. I liked how she was always happy and seemed so excited to see me and be around me, just as everybody else was, even if being near me kept her unable to see her visions. I placed my palm on her cheek and showed her, and she giggled and nodded at me.

She began to walk to the kitchen, me in her arms. As she did, I noticed that I had grown. _Again._

My hair was now about an inch and a half longer, now a few millimeters below my shoulders. It was in curls, and had not been brushed yet. It was bothering me, so I showed aunt Alice. She nodded, acknowledging the picture I'd showed her, as she got my metal bottle and blood out, pouring it into the bottle.

"Rosalie will brush your pretty hair once you're fed," she said warmly. She also asked me if I needed the end of the bottle on it, or if I could drink out of it like it were a cup. I thought for a few seconds and then showed her that I didn't need it, or that I at least wanted to try it without. She just nodded, chirping a quick "okay" and carried me into the living room, me in one arm and the cup in the other.

We sat down and she cradled me in one arm as Aunt Rosalie had when she fed me, but this time I sat up a bit more. She let me hold the cup with both hands, but also making sure to help me steady it with one of hers, even though I didn't need it. I took one gulp of it, realizing that this was a bit easier than the bottle. So, I continued doing that, but slowly. She also explained who the other man over by the stairs was, as she motioned for him to come stand next to her by the edge of the couch, telling him that she knew he wouldn't hurt me. Why would her hurt me? She also explained how he was new to their "vegetarian" diet as she called it, and I was half-human, so I was a slight risk. I wasn't afraid of the man I now knew as my uncle Jasper, however I was a bit more cautious not to get close to him or anything.

"It's almost like the vampire half cancels out the human half, considering scent, anyway," aunt Alice spoke to my uncle, and he tried to smile slightly at me.

"Yeah. It's not nearly as tempting as a human," he agreed, smiling a bit more. He seemed relieved that he didn't want my blood. I was too. He stayed a few feet away as I finished my drink.

After I finished my cup of blood, she handed me over to aunt Rose and my uncle Emmett.

"She would like for you to brush her hair, Rose," she said to Aunt Rosalie, and she nodded in return. Alice lead uncle Jasper out of the room, mentioning that they would go hunting then, and kissing his cheek.

"I will," she said simply as she got up, uncle Emmett following us as she carried me upstairs. We passed the room I had remembered as where I had seen my momma and daddy for the first time. I saw daddy holding momma's hand as she laid down on a flat glass table. He watched her intently, pain in his features, however, he looked up at me. I remembered who he was perfectly, and how he could hear my thoughts without me showing him. I simply shouted in my thoughts, full of happiness to see my parents again, _Daddy! Aunt Rosalie is going to brush my hair. Isn't that nice? It's nice to see Momma okay again. She's alive, right? She looks cleaner. And healthier, I see. She smells better, too! Can I come in and see her? Please?_ Daddy simply nodded to me, a slight smile breaking through as his eyes met mine (they were a very dark gold then), speaking in a soft and loving, yet concerned and hurt voice.

"Yes, Renesmee, your mother is fine," he paused and glanced back down at her serene-looking face, then back up at me, "Yes, your aunt Rosalie is very nice. She adores your hair, you know. It resembles mine and your mother's. And, of course you can come in for a few moments." He seemed strained, taking his eyes off of my mother for a moment. Aunt Rose gladly handed me to him, and I was quick to show him everything he'd missed with my gift. His face seemed.. proud? He told me some things about my mother, who laid still next to us. Sleeping? He nodded, with a 'sort of, yes.' He crooned a soft, quiet lullaby to me, though I wasn't tired, then I had to go. He was very intent on keeping his focus on my mother, and I understood that. I smiled and waved goodbye as aunt Rosalie took me back into her arms carefully, then carried me to a different room, one I haven't been in before.

She sat down with me on her lap in a chair in front of a mirror and I got to look at myself for the very first time. I thought I was... very pretty, to be honest. But, not as pretty as everybody else. Close, though. I noticed and took in everything about how I looked in my reflection. My hair was the color of dark bronze with hints of gold throughout where the light hit. It was curly, too, and reached down just an inch below my shoulders, and framing my face. Complimenting it, really, because it was dark-ish and my face was pale, except for my cheeks, which had a natural blush. My lips were a darker shade of pink, but had small spots of red, from the blood I had just drank. I smiled once, noticing my perfect white teeth. I also looked at my eyes, momma's eyes. They were a milk chocolate brown and I had naturally thick, long eyelashes, complimenting my eyes. My eyelids were a very light shade of purple-pink-blue mix, similar to my vampire family's, and I had a straight nose and jawline. My eyebrows were about the same color of my hair, thin lines.

Aunt Rosalie began brushing my hair and it felt very nice. She didn't pull at any knots, but brushed each curl slowly. I continued looking at my reflection, making faces and noticing how my eyebrows moved along with my smile forming dimples. This made uncle Emmett burst into loud laughs: it made me think of a bear, which I've never seen, but if loud snoring was like a bear, laughing must be the same.

After aunt Rosalie finished brushing my hair, she handed me to uncle Emmett, and I couldn't help but showing him his laugh. I found it funny, and he did too, once he noticed my association with him and a bear.

"Well, they are my favorite thing to hunt, kiddo," he said after he had calmed down enough and stopped his bear-like laughing. Aunt Rosalie then walked back into the room, carrying two dresses. One was white, light blue floral designs on the sleeves- which went down to right before where my elbows are -and some on the bottom, which had three or four layers, the top had a bit of lace at the bottom. The other was light pink with small white hearts on the bottom. I liked the white and blue one more than the pink one, so I nodded towards it and aunt Rosalie smiled at me and nodded, saying okay.

She took me from uncle Emmett and helped me get the dress on. As she helped me get dressed in it, she said, "You like blue and white better than pink? Pink is more of a girly color," she whispered the next part, "your aunt Alice would have a fit if she knew that." She giggled lightly and asked me how I'd like my hair. I never thought about how I'd like it. I reached up and ran my fingers through the tightly curled strands, thinking for a second.

I reached up and showed her that I liked it this way, but if she wanted to play with it, that was okay, too, I didn't mind at all. She smiled and nodded, telling me that she would leave it this way and play with it another day. I just smiled and nodded back at her. Aunt Rosalie picked me up and carried me to the living room, my entire family - aside from momma, my Jacob, and daddy - waiting for me. She sat down on the couch with me in her arms, for only a few seconds. Aunt Alice suddenly stood up and spoke, "They're close, everyone."

Everybody in the room quickly got up, Aunt Rosalie and I included, and formed a certain position. Aunt Rosalie and I in the back. In front of us were Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper, then Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma Esme.

Suddenly, the door opened, and I saw my Jacob walk in, leaving it open as if for somebody else. I knew who it must be; momma and daddy. I could smell momma's scent- similar to her human one, but much sweeter. Jacob quickly took me from Aunt Rosalie's arms and held me, more securely than ever, in his arms. He stood in the back with Aunt Rose and I.

That's when I saw them walk in. Daddy seemed so... Happy. I knew why, too. Momma was alive and well. I also looked at momma for the first time since my birth. She looked so... different. A bit more beautiful, to be honest, like the family. I patted aunt Rose's cheek and she nodded, telling me that, yes, it was her. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of blood red, very, very slightly tinted to the gold of the rest of my vampire family. Her hair was a dark brown, curls only slightly looser than mine, a few inches below her shoulders, a bit longer than mine. Her skin was pale and looked as smooth as marble. She was wearing a pair of jeans, no shoes, and a short-sleeved blue shirt. She looked at me as I looked at her, and I know she wanted to hold me instantly.

Everyone hesitated, aunt Alice, however, seemed to be the calmest. My Jacob tightened his hold on me a bit more and everyone stood defensively. I could feel him trembling ever so slightly. I knew what they were protecting: me. I heard momma's angelic, soprano voice soar, "It's okay, everyone." She slowly walked to me, Daddy carefully next to her, he, however, looked calm like aunt Alice. I watched momma inhale, her face stayed calm, but everyone still walked in front of me. I could barely see her, now! I was impatient and frustrated, so I did the one thing I knew could make them stop being so careful; I cried. I had never cried like that before, but I wailed and almost shouted. In an instant, everyone was patting me and trying to soothe me.

But I didn't _want_ their soothing, I wanted _momma_. I locked my eyes on daddy's, showing him.

As I calmed down and stopped crying, wiping my eyes with my arm, everyone slowly went back to where they were. Momma slowly walked closer. She reached out and took me in her arms, my Jacob still refusing to let her fully take me. They continued to speak, and Jacob let me go, letting momma take me into her arms. I smiled and placed my palm to her cheek, showing her the last time I had seen her, how she had looked after I was born. I pulled my hand away and smiled at Momma again. She gasped asked what "that" was, and aunt Rosalie asked her what she had seen. Momma spoke to me then, "I remember you, too." She spoke very quietly. Her voice was much different than the one I remembered as her's- much more smooth, more like a sing-song voice.

Momma kissed my forehead with her cold lips, her coldness which I was used to. I watched as a happy and proud smile lit up her face like the moon in the night sky. Daddy smiled silently at my thoughts. I was so full of joy- I felt like everything was okay, now. Everyone seemed so relaxed then, and I'd met everyone.

"Haven't we experimented enough for today?" Jacob asked, his voice sounding stressed. His eyes went back and forth between momma and myself. "Okay, Bella's doing great, but let's not push it." I knew he was worried for me, but he didn't need to be, obviously.

I watched momma glare at him and heard uncle Jasper shuffle uneasily next to us. I noticed then that we were all crowded very closely together.

"What is your _problem_ , Jacob?" Momma demanded, tugging lightly on her hold on me, Jacob simply stepping closer to her, not letting me go. I was touching both of their chests because of how close they were.

Daddy hissed at Jacob, "Just because I understand, it doesn't mean I won't throw you out, Jacob. Bella's doing extraordinarily well. Don't ruin the moment for her." Understand? What did he understand? I didn't get it, but I tried. Rosalie hissed something at my Jacob, but I didn't listen. I looked up and my Jacob was staring down at my face. His eyes were full of many different emotions: worry, care, adoration. Then I heard momma gasp, "No!" for some reason, as if she just understood something.

Momma told aunt Rose to take me, my Jacob handing me to her. All three of us backed away. Momma told daddy to stand in front of me, for his protection, and he hesitated to let her go, but did what she said anyways. Her face seemed so angry. I watched the scene in front of me, somewhat scared for my Jacob.

"You didn't," momma snarled at him, and he backed away, his palms up.

"You know it's not something I can control."

"You stupid mutt! How could you? My baby!" Momma yelled at Jacob. He half-ran down the stairs outside and momma followed him in a defensive hunting crouch. I wanted to stop them, but couldn't.

The last I heard clearly was Jacob, "It wasn't my idea, Bella!"

The rest were mumbles, but we walked to the window and watched. Uncle Em said something to daddy, but I didn't hear what it was. I did, but I didn't listen. I watched the muffled conversation.

I heard the term imprint, but I didn't know what it meant. My brain showed footprints on sand, or mud, having it then dried and it staying there forever- young ducklings following a mother duck? but I don't think that happened, really. Suddenly, two large wolves appeared at Jacob's flanks, the gray one snapping at momma. The sandy one stood defensively, but didn't seem angry. I'd never seen wolves before- they're pretty. I wanted to defend her, too, but I couldn't.

Momma snarled even louder back at the wolf, and it curled it's upper lip up but didn't move. Uncle Em laughed at something momma said, but I wasn't taking in the muffled words, I didn't want to hear them fight, I didn't like it. I heard grandma Esme tell Daddy to stop momma, but he didn't. I could hear yelling from Jacob, then a loud, shrieking growl from momma, then commentary from my family behind me. They all sounded surprised.

I heard one word, the one I knew got momma even angrier.

"...Nessie..." was the term I could pick out from something Jacob said. I knew instantly that it was a nickname for me.

Everybody then froze, and my Jacob took a step farther back into the treeline, his hands still up in front of him.

My eyes followed momma as she lunged, aiming for his throat.

Jacob kept me outside with him, keeping me entertained by letting me play with grass and fallen leaves. Seth's sister, Leah, kept pacing near the river, still as a wolf, glancing in the huge windows every few minutes. She seemed angry and anxious at the same time. I liked her gray and tan fur- it was pretty. I picked up a small green thing- not grass, harder, and pointy. I held it to Jacob, a curious expression on my face. He seemed delighted to explain. He liked helping me learn, and I loved learning. Rosalie was there, also, but still tried to keep some distance from Jacob.

"Not all trees have leaves, kiddo. This is a pine needle. Comes from a pine tree," Jacob paused to nod his head in the direction of one of the bigger trees, its branches covered in the needles. "'T leaks sap sometimes, too." I was confused. I let the little green needle fall from my palm, immediately pressing it against his arm- _can I see it?_ I questioned about the sap, earning a loud laugh from Jacob and aunt Rose both.

"Don't think Edward would be too happy with me bringing you inside, covered in sticky sap. Stuff's impossible to wash off."

We sat next to some hemlocks after that for a few minutes, and I noticed some birds. I was quick to demand Jacob's attention and point at the small, fluffy things.

"Sparrows," he whispered. I showed him my picture of them, repeating the word in my head. He nodded as we watched them hop closer and closer to us. I couldn't hold back the big, amazed smile on my face. Aunt Rose was a few yards away, again, keeping her distance from Jacob. We both sat as still as possible aside from our breathing. The birds wouldn't come close to my aunt.

I noticed then that the burning/aching/hungry feeling had begun to slowly creep back. I patted my Jacob's arm urgently and he picked me up, the birds chirping and quickly flying away. Before I knew it, he and my aunt were arguing over who would feed me once again. I rolled my eyes, no longer upset by their bickering, only thirsty, impatient, and bored with it. And, although I'd asked repeatedly for either of them to take me back to momma, they both could agree on the _not yet._

Daddy kept apologizing to Seth. I could tell she felt horrible for it, but I understood why she did it. _She can't control her emotions too perfectly as a newborn, right?_ Daddy looked at me as we entered the house and nodded. Seth was sleeping on the couch, his arm in a splint. Rose was the one to carry me upstairs, Jacob close by us. They both seemed worried, as everyone did, when the time came around for me to be measured again. I was bored, impatient. I was interested in the measuring at first, but it happened so often now, it had become something I didn't really like much.

"Four times a day," grandpa told momma when she'd asked if I was measured every day, motioning us to the couch. I sighed at that as we all sat down. I noticed my mother's eyes on me intently. I knew I couldn't tell that I had grown since she'd seen me only an hour ago, but she could. I stretched out as needed for grandpa Carlisle to measure me, still taking no notes. I could see that everyone in the room had their expressions full of worry.

"What do we do?" Momma whispered, just loudly enough for me to hear. I listened in on the conversation.

"I don't know," my father responded. I knew that my growth was abnormal; that was obvious by now to anyone, but was it really _too_ fast?

"It's slowing," my Jacob muttered. His eyes were on me, as well as the measuring instruments Carlisle had had.

"We'll need several more days of measurements to track the trend, Jacob. I can't make any promises," was Carlisle's calm response, though I could hear the slight strain in his voice, too. My eyes focused on momma, and hers on me.

"Yesterday she grew two inches," Jacob noted, as evidence for his claim. "Today it's less."

"By a thirty-second of an inch, if my measurements are correct," grandpa responded.

Jacob told him to _be_ perfect, sounding almost threatening, and I felt Rosalie's arms stiffen around me. Grandpa assured my Jacob he'd do his best. I was still bored, increasingly so as time went on. Their conversation was distracting me from the task. I wanted in my mother's arms then, especially when I noticed her slightly more upset than before. I reached my hand to aunt Rose, nearly demanding my mother. My aunt sighed.

"What does she want?" Jacob was quick to ask. I already knew that, whatever it was, he'd try his best for me.

"Bella, of course," aunt Rose responded. "How are you?" she asked momma.

"Worried," she admitted.

"We all are. But that's not what I meant."

"I'm in control," my mother promised. I knew she was.

As aunt Rose handed me off, I reached for my momma as she'd reached for me, a smile instantly taking over my face. Measuring done, with my mother again, _finally._

Immediately I placed my hand against her marble cheek. She gasped, just as last time, when I showed her my pictures. Her eyes seemed to look past me, though I knew she could still see me. I let her see how I'd seen her charge at my Jacob across the front lawn, and daddy laughed at that. I watched as both of my parents winced when I replayed the _crack_ of Seth's arm. I smiled again, showing her how I kept my eyes on Jacob, no matter what. I showed her that he was _my_ Jacob. I was glad that he wasn't hurt. I knew I couldn't protect him, but I showed that I didn't want my Jacob hurt.

"Oh wonderful. Perfect," she groaned.

"It's just because he tastes better than the rest of us," my father reassured her, sounding annoyed as well.

"I told you she likes me, too," I heard my Jacob tease from the other room. I noticed momma's brilliantly red eyes no longer focused on mine, and I demanded her attention back with gentle pats of my hand on her cheek. I showed her another memory, one of my favorites; aunt Rose brushing my hair, and how nice it felt. I showed her how uninteresting being measured was, too. It was so monotonous, four times a day, every day. It bored me. I showed her another one of my favorite memories; being fed, the blood from the bag. Before I could see a response in her features, I was out of her arms. Momma's arms were pinned behind her back, though she looked calm. I couldn't help but sigh. I knew she wouldn't hurt me.

Uncle Jasper was confused. Momma was as well, but for different reasons. Daddy apologized, handing me back to momma, who reached for me as well. I touched my mother's neck, showing her what had just happened, but from my eyes. I was confused as to what had happened, and why. What's wrong with uncle Jasper?

"He'll be back," daddy responded to us, seemingly answering my silent question. "He just needs a moment alone to readjust his perspective on life." He grinned with that.

They began discussing something, but I didn't focus on their words. I wasn't bored, and I focused on their faces, piecing together which features of their's that I had, too, compared to the last time I saw myself. I liked being with just my parents, not that I didn't love my family or my Jacob, but I'd waited for them both for days. It felt nice to be with them both, no over cautions protection. I noticed my mother freeze, seeming surprised- it caught me off guard. I touched her neck, asking her why.

"Have you ever seen an equivalent to self-control as a talent?" Daddy asked my grandfather.

"It's similar to what Sioban has always been able to do, though she wouldn't call it a gift."

"Sioban? Your friend in that Irish coven?" Aunt Rose spoke up. "I wasn't aware that she did anything special. I thought it was Maggie who was talented in that bunch." I didn't recognize the names, but that didn't bother me. I wanted to learn about momma's gift and these other people, too. Grandpa explained Sioban's gift. I continued showing momma my time without her, regardless.

My father, aunt, and grandfather sat in chairs as they continued their discussion. I watched as my Jacob sat next to the sleeping Seth, apparently bored, then tired. Momma held me by the window as I continued showing her my pictures, her attention fully on me and what I was showing her. She rocked me, something aunt Rose had done before, as we looked into each other's eyes. I wanted her to know every bit of what she'd missed, and I could tell she wanted the same thing. I showed her the formula. Oh, _god,_ the _formula. Icky,_ I'd repeated. I let her hear the song that my father had hummed to me, twice, his darker golden eyes nearly twinkling.

After nearly an hour, I slowly fell asleep in momma's arms, in the middle of one of the memories, and I felt her hand on top of mine on her cheek, as the images slowly faded to black- would she see my dreams? I dreamed of images again, patterns of colors and shapes, the faces of my family, my Jacob's, momma's, and daddy's all were the most visible ones. Rosalie's were, too.

When I woke up, I was in aunt Rose's arm.

"Did you sleep well, sweetheart?" She questioned, her golden eyes glimmering. I nodded, showing her that I'd wanted my mother. I demanded her when aunt Rose told me that she wasn't there. My brows furrowed. _Where is she? I want her here._ I demanded again. My aunt's expression did show that she felt bad that I was upset that my mother wasn't with me. After all, I did fall asleep in her arms. Not that I didn't love aunt Rose, I just wanted momma. I pouted, a small whimper coming from my throat. Aunt Rose was quick to walk into the living room with me, asking Esme what she should do.

"Are you thirsty?"

I shook my head no. My palm patted her neck again. _Momma._

"Do you wanna go play back outside?" She offered. Aunt Rose didn't like dirt, but she still offered. I shook my head again, more violently this time. My lower lip quivered, and I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"I have an idea," Esme rose from the couch where she sat with Grandpa quickly, returning before any tears could fall. Shiny metal objects in her hand.

I was curious about them, and shiny things were so pretty to me. She almost smiled.

Uncle Emmett came in as aunt Rose sat me on the floor, Esme handing me one, a long silver stick with a four longer, slightly pointed, yet rounded ones sticking out from the end. I sniffed it, curious. I nearly scrunched up my nose as the smell of metal filled it. She told me it was a fork. Uncle Em laughed at my curious expression. I poked and squeezed it with my hand, noticing small bits of reflections caught in the clean silver. I was touching the tines of the fork when something happened- they _bent._ Aunt Rose was shocked and Uncle Em laughed again, both my grandparents, and Alice and Jasper interested then as well.

I bent all of the tines away from the center, then bent them until they were all crooked. I grabbed the spoon from my aunt's chilled hand as she handed it to me. The reflections were bigger in this one, though warped. My face was pinched into a tinier, wrong reflection. I tried to bend the spoon with my thumb and forefinger, but it only made the reflection blurrier. I tried to bend it back out, but it was flattened, then. I let it fall to the ground as I grabbed another fork. I bent it in a spiral, mimicking my hair. Everyone was so amused, Esme no longer seemed upset for her silver. Carlisle noted that I _was_ stronger than a human toddler, as he'd predicted. Jasper didn't say anything, but had an amused grin pulling at the corners of his lips.

I let the already bent metal in one pile, playing with the last spoon. I began to bend and poke and pull this one beyond recognition- then I heard footsteps.

 _Momma! Daddy!_ I almost shouted with my thoughts. As soon as my eyes laid on my mother's face, I chucked the spoon onto the floor, leaving a small dent in the wood, and pointed a finger in her direction. Everyone laughed. Before I could turn to look for her, I was in my mother's arms. She smiled widely at me as I mimicked the expression back. I patted her cheek. I was hungry again. Daddy was quick to go to the kitchen to get my drink.

"We'll get your room set up right away," momma told me. "You'll like the cottage. It's magic." She glanced away from me to my grandmother to thank her. I was excited to see this place. Daddy came into the room with my cup as momma handed me off to aunt Rose. I was too focused in my drink to listen to the conversations going on, until I heard my father growl as his eyes turned to a darker black. Alice jumped to her feet instantly. I finished my drink quickly, curious and worried as to what was happening.

"What is he _doing_? What is that _dog_ doing that has erased my schedule for the entire day? I can't see _anything_! No!" She glanced to my mother, her face seeming tortured. She then chastised my mother for her clothes. I patted my aunt Rose, asking her what was going on.

"He talked to Charlie. He thinks Charlie is following after him. Coming here. Today." Daddy snarled, his hands in fists. Who's Charlie? Is he more family? Is he like my parents or like Jacob and Seth? I heard Alice speak a word that was so fast I could barely understand, then streaking quickly out the back door.

"He told Charlie?" Momma gasped. "But- doesn't he understand? How could he do that? No!"

Daddy spoke through his teeth. "Jacob's on his way in now." I was happy about that, but also worried. What was going on? Nobody was fully explaining to me. My Jacob came in the door shaking his wet hair. He seemed excited.

"Hey, guys," he greeted everyone, grinning. Everyone was quiet. It was.. weird. Leah and Seth came in behind him, both in human forms.

"Rose," momma said immediately. Without a word, Rosalie handed me to my mother, who I was happy to have hold me. She held me closer than usual, and I was watching and listening to everyone intently. I wanted to understand what was going on.

"Charlie'll be here soon," Jacob broke the silence. "Just a heads up. I assume Alice is getting you sunglasses or something?" He seemed to casual for the nearly visible tension in the room. I didn't like it. I was too confused for words.

"You assume _way_ too much," momma spit through her teeth at my Jacob. "What. Have. You. _Done_?" Jacob's smile vanished.

"Blondie and Emmett woke me up this morning going on about you all moving cross-country. Like I could let you leave. Charlie was the biggest issue there, right? Well, problem solved." He explained, still excited.

"Do you even _realize_ what you've done? The danger you've put him in?"

Jacob snorted. "I didn't put him in danger. Except from you. But you've got some kind of supernatural self-control, right? Not as good as mind reading, if you ask me. Much less exciting." Daddy moved quickly, in front of Jacob's face instantly.

"That's just a _theory_ , mongrel. Do you think we should test it out on _Charlie_?" He explained very angrily what Jacob had really done. I pressed my fingers into my mother's cheek, anxiously showing her my replay of what daddy had just said.

"Bella will be in pain?" my Jacob's excitement was gone. Daddy explained how, and momma winced.

"I didn't know that," Jacob whispered.

"Then perhaps you should have asked first," daddy growled back.

"You would have stopped me."

"You _should_ have been stopped-"

"This isn't about me," momma interrupted. She held me slightly tighter and more securely. "This is about Charlie. Do you realize it's death or vampire life for him now, too?" Her voice trembled. I felt a stab in my heart at the tone.

"He phased in front of Charlie," daddy hissed.

"You absolute moron! You could have given him a heart attack!"

"Charlie's fine. He's tough. If you'd give this just a minute, you'll see that I did you a favor here."

"You did half of that, Jacob." Her voice was flat, angry. "You have thirty seconds to tell me every single word before I give Renesmee to Rosalie and rip your miserable head off. Seth won't be able to stop me this time." I almost flinched at that.

Jacob explained. He showed Charlie his wolf form, Charlie is a human who can't know about any of us. Jacob showed him that so we didn't have to leave Forks. Daddy hissed while my mother stared at Jacob in horror.

"I'm not going to thank you. You're still putting Charlie at a huge risk." Momma explained, but my Jacob apologized.

Alice came in, and momma turned me over into Jacob's arms. I was sad that she was no longer holding me, but I wanted Jacob, too. He sat me on the floor with him and Seth, who was becoming much more comfortable around me. Momma was in the other corner of the room, doing something with the rest of the family.

"Jacob, I need Renesmee," I heard her say. My eyes were on her in an instant.

"Bella, that doesn't help me see," aunt Alice said.

"But I _need_ her. She keeps me calm." I could hear panic in her voice. I wanted her, too. Jacob sighed as he took me to my mother. Jacob retreated away from Alice quickly. As momma cradled me, daddy sat next to us. He put his arms around both of us, and I was instantly happy. He looked me seriously in the eyes.

"Renesmee, someone special is coming to see you and your mother," he sounded solemn as he spoke. He meant Charlie. I stared back, my eyes grave. "But he's not like us, or even like Jacob. We have to be very careful with him. You shouldn't tell him things the way you tell us." I shouldn't use my gift on him. He's human. I touched daddy's face, demonstrating what I shouldn't do to Charlie.

"Exactly, and he's going to make you thirsty. But you mustn't bite him. He won't head like Jacob." I nodded.

"Can she understand you?" Momma whispered, seeming surprised.

"She understands," he responded, quick to turn his attention back to me. Daddy's eyes were still black, but seemed lighter when he looked at either of us. "You'll be careful, won't you, Renesmee? You'll help us?" I touched his face with my fingertips again, showing him that yes, of course I would. But also.. could I bite Jacob?

"No, I don't care if you bite Jacob. That's fine." I heard my Jacob chuckle.

As I heard Charlie outside, I nestled deeper into my mother's arms, hiding in her hair. I could hear his heartbeat, and it did make my throat burn, but it wasn't unbearable. I could tell he wasn't like me or Jacob, or my family.

"Right here, dad," momma called out. I couldn't smell Charlie yet, neither could momma. We all watched the different emotions pass through Charlie's face. She called him dad, that meant that he was my grandfather. I didn't pay attention to their conversation, focusing more on momma and the sound of Charlie's voice. His scent reached my nose, then, and I sniffed quietly. Momma tightened her grip on me as the small burn in my throat flared. I wasn't going to bite him, but he was mildly tempting. He smelled a lot like the blood I drank, but with more depth.

"This is her. The orphan Jacob said you're adopting." Orphan? Adopting? I didn't know what he meant, but I didn't focus on that.

"My niece," daddy spoke smoothly. Daddy explained the story- that he'd lost his parents and his older brother and his wife had me, but died. He sounded so calm. I was proud to be my parents' daughter, but I would act with the lie if I had to. I peered out from under my mother's hair, sniffed again, glanced at Charlie, a new feeling, _shyness_ , then hid again. His eyes were the same as mine, too.

"She's a beauty," he sounded stunned.

"Yes," daddy agreed. I was almost boasting with confidence at the compliment.

"Kind of a big responsibility, though. You two are just getting started."

"What else could we do?" Daddy spoke softly. I felt his cold fingertips brush gently over my cheek. It calmed me. He touched my lips for a moment, reminding me. No biting, no communicating. I understood. "Would you have refused her?"

"Hmph. Wekk." He shook his head. "Jake says you call her Nessie?"

"No, we don't." Momma was quick to reply. The scene with her, Jacob and Seth in the lawn replayed momentarily. "Her name is Renesmee."

"You gonna make me a grandpa so young?" Charlie frowned.

"She sure is something to look at," he noted. I felt his warm breath blow slightly towards us. I leaned toward the smell, almost unable not to, looking him fully in the face for the first time. My grandpa gasped.

"Need to know, Charlie. It's okay, I promise," my Jacob was quick to come over and calm Charlie, patting him on the back, as he panicked.

"I don't want to know everything, but I'm done with the lies!" He spoke to my father.

"I'm sorry," daddy responded calmly, "but you need to know the public story more than you need to know the truth. It's to protect Bella and Renesmee as well as the rest of us. Can you go along with the lies for them?"

So he knew I wasn't adopted and daddy's niece. I did look a lot like the both of them. I pushed my palm against my mother's neck. Thirst, curiosity, and Charlie's face. I showed her that I understood my thirst, but overrode it as well.

"She's three months," daddy said. "Younger in some ways. More mature in others." I waved at him, deliberately. He blinked.

Charlie became engrossed in a football game with Emmett, then. Before he left, they agreed to not tell momma's mother about me, or any of the situation. I liked Charlie. He seemed nice. He was very different from anyone else I knew, though, though it was becoming obvious to me that we were the different ones. It wasn't long before I fell asleep in my mother's arms, since everything was okay now.

 _ **(Ugh, I really hate taking so much from the book word-for-word, but I wanted to keep the story accurate. Anyways, hope you guys liked!)**_


	3. Chapter 3

I began to wake up when I heard momma growl quietly, and Emmett laughing at something downstairs. I noted again that that was the reaction I that was trying to build in my chest when I thought something was funny. Momma hissed a bit, and I remembered that I fell asleep when Charlie was still there. I sniffed the air, searching for his scent, but it was nearly gone. I wanted him to come back, so I reached for momma's neck, telling her.

"Charlie will be back tomorrow," she reassured me, a relieved smile on her face. It made me happy to see that.

I looked around, noticing aunt Alice, Emmett, daddy, and momma. I was then passed to Daddy's arms.

"It's a little dense, don't you think, to antagonize the strongest vampire in the house?" Daddy asked Emmett as he held me, and I wondered what he meant. Emmett laughed his loud bear-like laugh.

"Please!" Emmett continued laughing.

"Bella, do you remember a few months ago, I asked you to do me a favor once you were immortal?" Daddy murmured to momma. I glanced up, curious as well. Uncle Em was still laughing.

Momma gasped, "Oh!" and Aunt Alice laughed, seemingly at something she'd seen in the future. I smiled at her, she had a pretty laugh, like everyone else. My Jacob peeked around the corner, his mouth stuffed with food, curious. I thought this was funny.

"Emmett, how do you feel about a little bet?" Momma asked.

"Awesome. Bring it." Emmett said, on his feet almost instantly. Momma nervously bit her lip, probably noting that he was a lot taller and more muscular than her.

"Unless you're too afraid...?" Uncle Emmett suggested.

"You. Me. Arm wrestling. Dining room table. Now." Momma said in a somewhat defensive, tough tone. Uncle Emmett grinned.

"Bella," Aunt Alice quickly spoke, "I think Esme is fairly fond of that table. It's an antique." I looked at grandma and watched her mouth a quiet "thanks" to Alice.

"No problem. Right this way, Bella," Emmett smiled at Grandma and Emmett headed out the back. Everyone followed behind them. What was arm wrestling, though? I was confused. Daddy leaned down slightly and whispered to me, an amused grin on his lips, "You'll see in a moment." I nodded in return.

There was a moderately-paced river about 50 feet away, and uncle Em walked towards a large rock in an irregular shape. He placed his elbow on the rock, waving momma over. I smiled as we all followed behind, standing a few feet away from the rock. I noticed how strong Emmett looked compared to momma. He had large muscles while she had slender arms, with a little bit of muscle. I was worried. Was he going to hurt her? What were they doing with the huge rock?

"Okay, Emmett. I win, and you cannot say one more word about my sex life to anyone, not even Rose. No allusions, no innuendos-no nothing." Momma said plainly.

"Deal. I win, and it's going to get a lot worse." Emmett replied, narrowing his eyes.

"One, two-" Momma began, grabbing his large hand,

"Three," Emmett said, shoving against Momma's hand.

Nothing happened, though.

I watched with an amused smile on my face, reflecting the same expression as everyone else, as Emmett shoved against momma's hand, grunting slightly. After a few seconds, momma flexed, and she gained an inch. She laughed and I heard my uncle snarl roughly through his teeth, obviously annoyed that he was losing. Momma smashed his hand into the boulder, a movement almost too fast for me to see- a loud crack as a piece of it fell and crashed to the ground. Daddy and Jacob laughed as the piece hit Emmett's foot.

"Rematch. Tomorrow," my uncle said, and momma replied.

"Maybe you ought to wait a month." Emmett growled in response, repeating, "Tomorrow." He punched the granite rock, shards and powder falling to the ground. I stared in amazement- it was shining, beautiful. Momma dug her hand into the rock, pulling it back, and ended up with a handful of other smaller rocks, gravel.

"Cool," she mumbled, fascinated. I could see almost a glint in her eyes.

Momma suddenly spun and kicked the rest of it to pieces, laughing the entire time. I found this to be funny, and then the laugh finally happened. I laughed, giggled, really. The sound was a bunch of small bells chiming in chords. I continued, amazed with the sound, and amused with momma demolishing a large rock, but stopped, noticing everyone staring at me with a dumbstruck expression.

"Who wasn't laughing?" My Jacob responded.

I noticed everyone was laughing, really, also amused with my mother's game with the rock.

"Bella's supposed to be a grown-up. Married and a mom and all that. Shouldn't there be more dignity?" my Jacob said again. Dignity would take away from the fun? This made me upset. I frowned and touched daddy's face, asking for less of this dignity, if it was going to take this funniness away.

Momma asked what I wanted, and Daddy replied, grinning, "Less dignity. She was having almost as much fun watching you enjoy yourself aw I was."

"Am I funny?" Momma asked me, darting back and reaching for me as I reached for her, taking me out of Daddy's arms and handing me a piece of the rock in her hand. Now that I thought about it, I really did want to try this.

I smiled and took the stone in both of my hands, squeezing as hard as I could- and not succeeding. A bit of dust came off, but nothing else. No shattering, no breaking, nothing. I handed it back up to momma, unsatisfied with this.

"I'll get it," she said, pinching it into sand for me. I clapped for her and laughed, everyone joining in with me.

Suddenly, the sun burst through the gray clouds in the sky, long beams of ruby and gold shooting across all of us. I stared at momma's shining skin, as though tiny diamonds had been placed gently in her pores. I was dazed by the shining of her skin. I stroked the chilled, glittering marble softly and laid my arm next to hers. The same paleness was there, but I only had a faint luminosity to my skin, it was very subtle, not nearly as bright and dazzling. I touched her skin, showing the difference and feeling disgruntled. I wanted to have the same pretty shine.

"You're the prettiest," Momma assured me, smiling lovingly at me. I knew she meant what she had said.

"I'm not sure I can agree to that," Daddy said. My Jacob had his hand in front of his face, shielding his eyes from the brightness. I smiled and giggled, still getting used to the sensation of laughing. "Freaky Bella," he commented.

"What an amazing creature she is," daddy noted.

This was my family. Where I belonged. I loved everyone here dearly, and I would protect them no matter what. My best friend; my Jacob, my parents, and everyone else, too. I loved them all, and I knew they all loved me as well.

I knew I was growing very quickly. I knew that the girl named Leah, a part of my Jacob's wolf pack, didn't like being around us because of our species, our natural rivalry that I had heard about in one of the stories momma told me.

Exactly one week after I was born, I had to speak for the first time, a sentence with perfect articulation, naturally flowing. It wasn't nearly as hard as it was when I was younger. In fact, it was as easy as breathing, but I still preferred using my gift. Momma was a across the room from me, and when I had asked aunt Rosalie where grandpa was, she didn't know the answer. So, I looked at momma and asked her aloud, just how anyone else would.

"Momma, where's Grandpa?" I asked her, my high soprano voice clear and articulate.

Exactly 17 days later, just a little less than three weeks, I had walked for the first time. I was a bit nervous, but knew that if I needed help, everyone would be there to do so. But, I didn't need their help. I knew I could do this on my own, as I had wished to walk for a while now, not that I minded being held, and I wouldn't give up until I could do so. Aunt Alice was arranging stunning bouquets of flowers in intricate vases all over the room, flitting all across the room as she did so. I watched intently for a long moment as she moved to the other end of the room. And, not the least bit shaky, I got to my feet and crossed the floor without even having to try. It was so simple! My Jacob burst into applause, and I wanted that response, really. I knew that his first reflex was to always give me what I needed. He was my big brother, practically, and my best friend in the whole world. Momma clapped quietly, and daddy did, as well. I blushed, turning to smile at them as Alice placed a faded yellow flower in my hair, right above my ear.

I never wore the same clothes twice, either. aunt Rose and aunt Alice always began the day with a slight fashion show, me wearing one or two different outfits and them taking a few pictures. The main reason why I never wore the same clothes twice was because I outgrew them almost that same day. (That, and Alice and Rosalie were putting a baby album together to span years, as opposed to the one month I had been alive. They had taken thousands of pictures already. Which I didn't mind, it was fun, really, it just got a bit boring sometimes, but I did like the attention of it.

I knew I didn't look like a normal toddler, either; I was leaner and more graceful, more adult-like proportions, and my bronze hair now hung down to my waist. I adored my own hair, playing with it, brushing it all the time, even when my mother or aunts offered to for me. I could speak flawlessly already, but I rarely bothered when I could just show what I had to say. Speaking didn't interest me. I could also run and dance, and even read.

Momma had been sitting next to me as I laid in bed, reading Tennyson to me one night. I didn't like repetition or princess books or pictures with very few words even in the books. I liked her poetry books, too. I had wanted to try to read. Well, I knew I could, I'd usually peek and read in my head, the words flowing flawlessly. I reached up, showing momma an image of us, but with _me_ holding the book. She handed me the book without hesitation, of course, smiling. I took it and proceeded to read, just as she did. " 'There is sweet music here,' " I read without any hesitation, the words flowing perfectly, " 'that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass, or night-dews on still waters between walls of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass-' "

Momma took the book back, and I didn't argue or fight, as I never did. "If you read, how will you fall asleep?" she asked softly, but there was something else in her tone I couldn't place.

My rapid growth scared me a bit, too. It didn't take me long to realize that I'd grow so quickly that I wouldn't have a long life. I'd speed on and never stop, until I died, and that thought struck fear in the very pit of my heart. But I didn't want to think about that. I heard grandpa mention travelling somewhere like Brazil to look for answers. Could there be someone else like me?

We had hunted animal blood once I had showed that I was able to run, and I understood that I couldn't live off of human blood, when one, people needed it, and two, the family was vegetarian. It wasn't my favorite, so I usually protested.. until my Jacob always made it fun. I didn't like any food I'd tried at all, especially the cauliflower and lima beans momma had made me once. It tasted like grass and dirt. Animal blood was at least better than that. The thought of challenging Jacob made it fun to hunt.

I danced ahead of them in the clearing, searching the air for a scent that I liked more than the rest. I heard Momma and my Jacob talking about Jacob's pack, but I didn't listen. Once I smelled blood, I tuned out a bit, but I could control it very easily. I froze when I noticed something; snowflakes. They fell from the sky so beautifully, so gracefully, that I instantly loved them. I stared up at them in awe. None stuck to the ground, it all melted before it could. I crouched for an instant and then leaped into the air, searching the air and catching a snowflake in my hands before I dropped lightly to my feet. It was eight-pointed ice star, and I turned smiling at them, showing them the perfect snowflake in my palm before it melted in the warmth.

"Pretty," Jacob called to me, "but I think you're stalling, Nessie." Nessie was my nickname from Jacob. I didn't mind it, it had a cute sound to it. Momma hated it. But I knew it was really the nickname of a European lake monster I'd heard referenced. I ran back to Jacob and jumped into his arms, as we always did when I had something to say; I still preferred using my gift to speak as opposed to actually speaking aloud. I scowled, furrowing my brows, telling him that I wasn't thirsty. I was, but he didn't need to know that. I didn't need to hunt.

"Suuuure you're not thirsty, Nessie," he answered a little sarcastically, a little indulgently, too. "You're just afraid I'll catch the biggest one again!" he laughed, and I leaped out his arms, doing a back flip and landing softly on my feet, rolling my eyes stubbornly. No way! I instantly took the challenge then, darting off into the forest.

"It doesn't count if you cheat!" he shouted after me. I laughed and heard him phase, taking that as my cue, knowing that momma would catch up soon, I took a deep breath, inhaling all of the scents around me. I smelled a nutty, woodsy scent of moss and cinnamon; Jacob trailing behind me, squirrels, plants, rabbits, birds. Then, I caught the scent of two deer. Almost the same exact size, but one still slightly bigger. I instantly zeroed in on the larger one, _mine! I'm gonna win!_ , I thought to myself, knowing that I would win. I chased off after it and, when about 15 feet away from the buck, I crouched, walking slowly towards him. I could hear Jacob's footsteps growing louder as he got closer, and I leaped onto the buck, tackling him to the ground and trying my best to avoid getting blood on me or a rip in my dress- aunt Alice would have a fit- and sunk my teeth into his throat. I heard Jacob leaping onto the other deer- another buck- and tackling it to the ground, killing it quickly. I drank all of my deer's blood as Jacob bit trough his. I let it drop to the ground as Jacob lied next to his kill, just a few feet away from me, grinning a wolfish grin at me. I was still thirsty, but I could get another after I tell Jacob I won. I shouted a victory cry, unable to use my gift to gloat. Jacob laughed, as well as a wolf could. He shook his head and aimed his nose at his deer, as if to challenge my win. I shook my head triumphantly, refusing.

"No! Mine's bigger," I insisted as I heard momma coming through some thorn bushes to the small area where we both stood. Jacob's ears defensively flattened back, as he was crouching forward and baring his teeth, a growl rising in his throat. I was instantly alert as I leaped into momma's arms, placing my curious hand to her cheek, and she replied, "I'm overreacting," reassuring us. "It's okay, I think, hold on." I was impatient as she called my father.

Momma explained on her cell phone to daddy that she had seen someone named Irina, who seemed upset but then took off. She said how bad she felt for upsetting Irina, but I didn't know how she had upset her. "Come, bring Carlisle," she continued. Daddy assured momma by telling her he'd be here in half a minute. We all ran back to the clearing, waiting silently as my Jacob and momma listened carefully for the sound of someone who they didn't know. I saw Grandpa with Daddy following behind, and heard the footsteps of large wolves approaching, also.

Daddy and Carlisle then took off to the area at which Momma had pointed. Momma, Jacob, and I ran back to the house with Seth and Leah flanking us- extra protection. I knew that I still needed more blood, as the slight burn in my throat grew slowly again, and I knew that I would get donated blood to suffice. I smiled slightly at this thought, my thoughts a little bit smug.


	4. Chapter 4

I didn't know much about the trouble with Irina Denali. I knew that she was the Cullen family's close friend, and they were considered our cousins, (mostly because they lived in Alaska, and, like us, were vegetarians,) but other than that, I didn't know much. Daddy and grandpa went after her, trying to talk to her. They couldn't find her, though.

That night, I was sleeping on the couch at grandma's, not used to being in anything other than someone's arms or my bed. I was dreaming of the snow; how slowly it fell, every snowflake was different and beautiful, some had eight points, others had 6, or more or less. I was chasing a stag in my dream, the pretty snowflakes flying past me in a blur, when I heard a loud, splintering shatter, the sound of glass breaking, hundreds of shards tinkling as they bounced and slid across a wood floor. It didn't wake me; I didn't know if it was a part of my dream or if it was real. However, I woke myself up, the loud sound unusual, keeping my breathing and heartbeat steady, but still feeling very tired. I was in momma's arms, well, she was draped over me, somewhat protectively. What had happened? Nobody was speaking, let alone breathing, but I knew everyone was in the living room with us by the scents in the air.

I had fallen back asleep in momma's arms, having still been so tired from the day before. I usually slept all night, so waking up after only a short time asleep was strange. When I woke up again, Jacob had his hand on my forehead, and he was trembling slightly, asking what was wrong with me. His hair was damp and his dark eyes full of worry. I was okay, but I wanted to know what was going on, so I stayed silent.

"Nothing's wrong with Renesmee," momma said in a soft, low voice, the her words breaking in random places.

"Then who?" Jacob replied, still worried. I wanted to know, too.

"All of us, Jacob," Momma whispered, making the pace of my heart almost double. "It's over. We've all been sentenced to die." I didn't understand, but I knew I would soon enough. I tried to calm myself down, and managed to fall back asleep.

I woke up to hear Emmett cussing loud enough to make Jacob defensively jump up and growl, which was followed by the growl of several other wolves.

I then heard Momma get up very quickly, running out the door along with everyone else, and yelling to Jacob, "Stay with Renesmee!"

I sat up, noticing everyone gone as I heard Jacob walk through the door. I reached my arms out to him, showing that I wanted picked up, and so he picked me up. He held me tightly in his arms and I instantly reached up to touch my hand to his cheek, asking him what was going on, very concerned for everyone around me. _Jacob, what's going on?_ I let him see the small bits of conversation I'd heard.

"They- the Cullens went to talk to the pack, Sam's pack," he said in a strained voice, telling me the honest truth, as much as he could, "Alice and Jasper left, we're not sure where," this panicked me slightly, but I stayed silent, listening and taking everything in. "It's okay, Nessie. Everything's okay," he crooned. I didn't ask in detail.

Jacob sat down on the couch, me still in his arms, wide awake now, as everyone slowly walked in... Everyone except aunt Alice and uncle Jasper. I didn't like their absence, I really didn't. I missed them already, and I yearned for them to come back. Why did they leave? Uncle Emmett said that they were splitting up, and him and Rose were hunting for nomads, which I knew to be vampires that never stayed in one place for too long. I heard that Grandpa and Grandma were going to round up witnesses all around the world. I wondered if they really would come, Grandpa's friends. Why did we need witnesses? I twisted in Jacob's arms and asked him, using my gift to ask if they would come. I understood the situation enough- we were in trouble for some reason, and the family was getting help.

"I don't know if Carlisle's friends will come. I hope so. Sounds like we're a little outnumbered right now," he murmured softly to me. I was not really scared or frightened, but serious, slightly anxious, even. I asked him if we could help.

"No, we can't help; we've got to stay here," he answered. "People are coming to see you, not the scenery." I frowned in return. Did he have to leave? I hoped not, and I asked if he did.

"No, I don't have to go anywhere," Jacob said to me, then looked at Daddy, "Do I?"

Daddy hesitated to answer, and I assumed that he didn't know how to word his response.

"Spit it out," Jacob said, sounding a bit more tense and angry.

"The vampires who are coming to help us are not the same as we are," Daddy slowly explained. "Tanya's family is the only one besides ours with a reverence for human life, and even they don't think much of werewolves. I think it might be safer-" He was interrupted by Jacob, "I can take care of myself."

"-Safer for Renesmee," Daddy continued, "if the choice to believe our story about her is not tainted by an association with werewolves."

I wondered why they didn't like werewolves, wolf people like my Jacob, daddy and Carlisle's friends, for half a second, but then remembered, natural enemies. Our closeness with the werewolf packs weren't common.

"As long as you keep a safe distance from the house..." Daddy trailed off.

"I can do that. Company in the morning, huh?" Jacob replied. I paid close attention to their conversation.

"Yes. The closest of our friends. In this case, it's probably better if we get things out in the open as soon as possible. You can stay here." I smiled at this. "Tanya knows about you. She's even met Seth."

"Right."

"Listening to Alice is usually the right thing," Daddy said.

I watched as momma walked away, into a different room. I reached to touch Jacob's cheek and asked him to let me down, and he did. I walked gracefully the same way momma had went, and I saw her lightly touching the wood of a window frame, staring out into the distance. She saw me as I crossed the room to her. I reached my arms up for her and she held hers open. I jumped into them, nestling my head against Momma's neck.

I touched momma's face lightly, showing her everyone's faces. Daddy's, Jacob's, Rose's, Esme's, Carlisle's, Alice's, Jasper's, going faster and faster. Seth, Leah, Charlie, Sue, and Billy. Over and over again. I was worrying, and I settled on Alice's face, wondering where she was, since Jacob didn't tell me exactly where.

"I don't know," momma whispered. "But she's Alice. She's doing the right thing, like always." I sighed, letting the longing for Alice's return intensify.

"I miss her, too."

I heard momma's breath hitch in her throat, a strange, rasping noise, and I pulled back to look at her. I showed her in my thoughts, how her eyes were slightly red around them, how her expression was full of sadness. I could feel a soft sting in my eyes as I watched her face. She was worried, sad, too. I didn't want momma to be sad. I stroked her face lightly, not showing any pictures, just trying to soothe her, like my aunts or she would for me when I would be upset. My eyes stung a bit more and I felt the corner of my eye get slightly wet as momma wiped the tear away with a kiss. I touched the wet spot on the corner of my eye in amazement, looking at the wetness on my fingertip; this was the first time I had truly cried.

"Don't cry," she told me soothingly. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. I will find you a way through this," she assured me. I believed her, I knew she would- but I wanted to make sure she was okay, too.

The stress of the day had begun to get to me, as well as the lack of sleep, but it wasn't too bad, I was just tired earlier than usual. I yearned for my aunt and uncle to be back home, with us, where they belonged. I trusted everyone that they would protect me from any harm, even if it came down to them losing their lives, but, I had some lingering belief that we were all still going to die. What about them, too? Even if something happened to me, I wanted my family and friends safe. What were the Volturi? Were they going to be the ones to kill us? I didn't like the thought of it. I yawned tiredly as momma, daddy, my Jacob and I all walked calmly to the cottage: momma had insisted on some normality for me, despite the current situation (no more couch sleeping), so she wanted me to sleep at home, in bed. Jacob walked with us in his wolf form, and I thought to myself, p _retty wolfy_ , making Daddy chuckle softly.

I slowly fell asleep on the way home in momma's arms, the most comforting and safe place in existence, not being able to say goodbye to my Jacob for the night. I didn't dream, but I awoke in momma's arms, in my room, her face buried into my hair: she was worried, too. I almost instantly fell back to sleep.

I woke in the morning, still in momma's arms, still at the cottage, but with Jacob waiting with us. We were meeting some of Carlisle's friends today. Momma took me to my room and helped me pick out an outfit, walking out and closing the door softly, giving me privacy. I got dressed quickly, but with my mind in another place. Would they like me, or would they hate me? Are they like me, half-human? Wait- no, I'm the only one like this.. I wondered if they would dislike me, or think I was weird. Would they stand beside us? So many questions, yet no answers.. not yet. We walked to Grandma's in silence, no snow today, but a soft breeze and a cold temperature- which I didn't mind. The temperatures didn't bother me, just like with the vampires and wolf people. When they dipped below 0 degrees Fahrenheit, I got a slight chill, but still not freezing for me. I was so used to the chill of vampire skin and the warmth of Jacob's, the varying temperature didn't bother me. We didn't know if it was because of that reason or because of my vampire genes; I settled for both.

We- momma, Jacob and I, waited waited around the corner from the front door, in the dining room, at the big, polished wooden table. Momma held me while Jacob sat there, his arms crossed, in case he needed to phase quickly. Daddy waited motionlessly against the back window wall, staring at the front door. We all heard the cars on the freeway zooming past, none slowing. I sighed quietly, anxiously waiting for the new people to arrive.

I couldn't think of any way to show how I felt, but I nestled against momma's neck, showing none of my pictures. I let her see the questions the countless buzzed around in my mind like crazy, searching for answers that simply weren't there. One worried me the most.

"What if they don't like me?" I whispered aloud, concerned and worried. For once, speaking aloud was the only way I could think to express my thoughts. All three of them looked at me, I knew, but I stared out the window at the cold, leafless trees of the forest. The pine needles were still there, I absently noted.

"Of course they'll-" Jacob began, and my eyes met his, but momma looked at him, silencing him.

"They don't understand you, Renesmee, because they've never met anyone like you," she said, true honesty in her voice. "Getting them to understand is the problem."

I knew in my head that I didn't belong, though. I showed momma what I meant by that, flashing pictures of everyone in one quick burst: vampire, human, werewolf. I fit nowhere. I didn't smell like them, I didn't look like them; I was weird.

"You're special, that's not a bad thing," momma said warmly, trying to soothe me. Her chilled hand was on my back, trying to rub the worry away.

I shook my head. She was wrong, it is a bad thing. I caused this. Had I not been born, none of this would be an issue. The Volturi wouldn't be after us, we wouldn't be endangering everyone. "This is my fault."

"No," everyone said at exactly the same time, but the sound of a slowing car on the freeway silenced all of us: _here they come_ , I thought to myself, hearing the tires moving from pavement to soft dirt. I couldn't smell them yet.

Daddy quickly waited by the door as I hid in momma's hair. We heard the car pull into the driveway and four doors open and close. I heard no voices, but I heard daddy answer the door before anyone could knock.

"Edward!" a woman's voice enthused. She seemed calm, unaware of the danger.

"Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen," he said calmly. So those were their names. I tried to place them with the voices I heard.

Three of them murmured hellos.

"Carlisle said you needed to talk to us right away," one woman said. They were all still outside, however. "What's the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?"

My Jacob rolled his eyes at the comment. I almost laughed, but didn't.

"No," Daddy said. "Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever."

One woman chuckled softly.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" anothe asked, and continued waiting, not receiving any answer. "Where's Carlisle?" They didn't know yet? Did they only come here for Grandpa? Did they know I existed? What if they dislike me? My mind continued buzzing with the questions.

"Carlisle had to leave."

There was a short, uncomfortable silence.

"What's going on, Edward?" one woman asked.

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," daddy answered. "I have something difficult to explain-" I knew he meant me. "-and I'll need you to be open-minded until you understand."

"Is Carlisle alright?" the one male asked: Eleazar.

"None of us is all right, Eleazar," daddy said, and he patted something, probably Eleazar's shoulder. "But physically, Carlisle is fine." I knew daddy wasn't getting to the point quickly, he was stalling, probably nervous like the rest of us.

"Physically?" a woman asked sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the entire family is in very grave danger..." Daddy explained, but my thoughts won the battle for my attention. I wanted to save them, not let them save me. I could fight too, right? I knew they wouldn't let me, but I would try, if I could. Then again... if we have more than just the close family on our side, I won't need to.

"Is there a human here?" Eleazar whispered, interrupting my thoughts. I knew they smelled me, not Jacob, not momma.

"No, it's not human... but... closer to a human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward? don't think I've every smelled that fragrance before," Tanya said.

"Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconcieved notions."

"I promised you I would listen, Edward."

"All right, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee, please."

Momma stood, holding me securely in her arms. Jacob followed closely behind us. She took one step into the bigger room and froze, not moving any farther. I took a deep breath and peeked out from under Momma's hair, my shoulders tight, expecting some type of rejection.

They all looked horrified. One with strawberry curled hair skittered back four steps, quivering. Another jumped back to the front door and braced herself against the wall there. A shocked hiss came from her. Eleazar crouched protectively in front of another woman.

Jacob complained quietly, "Oh, please."

Daddy put his arm around momma and I. "You promised to listen," he reminded them.

"How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?" Tanya shouted. Her pretty soprano voice could have shattered glass.

Another, Kate, put her hand on the doorknob, "we have to get out of here.." Her golden eyes were wide.

"Edward..." Eleazar seemed beyond words.

"Remember what you hear, what you smell. Renesmee is not what you think she is," he spoke slowly.

"There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward," Tanya snapped.

"Tanya," Daddy said sharply, "you can hear her heartbeat! Stop and think about what that means."

"Her heartbeat?" Carmen whispered, looking from behind Eleazar. She seemed to be the most accepting, so far.

"She's not a full vampire child," Daddy answered. "She is half human."

They all stared at him as if he were crazy.

"Hear me," he presuaded smoothly. "Renesmee is one of a kind. I am her father. Not her creator- her biological father."

"You can't expect us to-" Eleazar began.

"Tell me another explanation that fits. You can feel the wamth of her body in the air. Blood runs in her veins, Eleazar. You can smell it."

"How?" Kate breathed.

"Bella is her biological mother," Daddy told her. "She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom in her heart to save her."

Their expressions stayed cold. They never heard of such a thing.

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance."

Carmen quickly walked to us, leaning down in front of Momma, looking carefully into my face. Her scent was that of cinnamon and sugar, her eyes the warmest gold I'd seen in their coven.

"You seem to have your mother's eyes," she said in a calm, low voice, "but your father's face." And then, she smiled at me.

I smiled back at her, so, so happy that she didn't hate me. Also glad that she noticed how I looked like my parents. I touched momma's face without looking away from Carmen, imagining touching Carmen's face, wondering if it was okay. Would it scare her?

"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?" she asked Carmen, still too stressed to speak above a whisper. "She has a gift for explaining things."

"Do you speak, little one?" Carmen asked me.

"Yes," I answered aloud, noticing all of Carmen's family flinch at my voice. "But I can show you more than I can tell you."

I placed my hand on Carmen's cheek. She stiffened and Eleazar was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders. I showed Carmen everything, from the first second in which I could begin to hear- before I was born- to now. I showed everything with perfect clarity and detail. I flooded the memories with my love for my family, showing them that I'm good, and my Jacob is good, too. I let my hand drop after I finished my memories, showing every single one. I smiled winningly at Carmen, noticing how stunned she looked.

"She really is your daughter, isn't she?" She breathed, breathless. "Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a very gifted father."

"Do you believe what she showed you?" Daddy asked, his expression intense.

"Without a doubt," Carmen said simply. How could she not? It's the truth.

"Carmen!" Eleazar said, his face rigid with distress.

Carmen took his hands into her own and squeezed them. "Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but the truth. Let the child show you."

Carmen nudged Eleazar closer and nodded at me, "Show him, mi querida." I didn't know what the strange nickname meant, but it seemed endearing.

I grinned, delighted with Carmen's acceptance, and touched Eleazar lightly on the forehead.

"Ay caray!" he spit and jerked away.

I frowned impatiently. "Watch, please," I commanded. I stretched my hand out but left a few inches between my fingers and his face, waiting. I was impatient, but I knew I had to be patient with the new people.

Carmen nodded at Eleazar, as he took a deep breath and leaned closer, my fingertips barely touching his face. I showed him everything too, the vitals and the non-vitals, in a few quick minutes.

"Ahh," he sighed. "I see." He seemed calm, believing suddenly.

I smiled at him. He hesitated, then smiled unwillingly back.

"Eleazar?" Tanya asked him cautiously.

"It's all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She's half-human. Come. See for yourself."

I showed both Carmen and Kate my story, winning them over as soon as I was done.

"Thank you for listening," daddy said quietly.

"But there is the grave danger you warned us of," Tanya said. "Not directly from this child, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about her? When are they coming?"

Daddy and the Denali's talked of how Irina had seen me when momma, my Jacob and I were hunting, thinking I was an immortal child, and went to the Volturi.

"..we can only die with you. You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we've failed you in the past - for her sake that time as well," Tanya said slowly, holding her hands out in front of her, apologetic.

Daddy shook his head quickly. "We're not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that."

"Then what, Edward?"

"We're just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain..." Daddy touched my cheek and I glanced up at him, his honey eyes meeting mine. I grabbed his hand and held it pressed against my skin, showing them how the Volturi would see. "It's difficult to doubt a story when you see it for yourself."

"Do you think her past will matter to them so much?" Tanya asked.

"Only as it foreshadows her future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed," Daddy explained. The immortal children? But I'm not dangerous like them. I would never kill anyone, I'm not like them. Plus, I blended in much, much more than vampires. I even looked similar to Charlie, and he's a human.

"I'm not dangerous at all," I interjected. "I never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. I love humans. And wolf-people like my Jacob." I dropped Daddy's hand to reach back and pat Jacob's arm.

I wondered if they understood. I hoped they did.

"Yes, we can witness for you," Tanya said. She glanced at me, then at my father again. "Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do."

"Tanya," daddy protested, reading her mind, "we don't expect you to fight with us."

"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," she insisted. "Of course, I should only speak for myself."

Kate snorted. "Do you really doubt me so much, sister?"

Tanya smiled widely at her. "It is a suicide mission after all."

Kate shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm in."

"I, too, will do what I can to protect the child," Carmen agreed. I smiled at all of them; thanking them for being so kind and willing to help us. Carmen held her arms out toward me. "May I hold you, bebé linda?"

I reached eagerly toward her, delighted with the fact I had made a friend so quickly. She hugged me close, muttering to me in a language which I didn't understand, but it was soothing, nonetheless.

I was filled with a hope that we would all survive this, but the persistent worry of our demise still ran through my mind nonstop.


	5. Chapter 5

**Another Author's Note, lol. So, I have a few things I want to add here. The first is about the imprinting. As we all know in the canon Twilight universe, imprinting is inherently romantic once the imprintee is or comes of age. I want to change this. No, this isn't saying that Renesmee and Jacob will not end up together. I also don't know if they will be together romantically in the future. I just wanted to say that, in this story, imprinting is** ** _not_** **inherently romantic. I** ** _do not_** **intend on Claire and Quil ending up a couple once she reaches that age. I'm going to write imprinting as more of a** ** _protective_** **thing, not binding/soulmates. The idea of it just makes me genuinely uncomfortable.**

 **Also, from here on out, I won't be copying the book nearly as much. The same events will happen, yes, and will remain as canon as possible, but I won't be copying their phrases word-for-word. I** ** _really_** **don't like doing that. I'm only including the book's events so we can see Renesmee's point of view of all of them.**

 **Anywho, thanks for your support and for reading this rewrite. I really appreciate it.**

 **PS- these following chapters will probably be nearly the same as they are in the original After Daybreak.**

Carmen, my new friend, held me tightly, still speaking in a soft language that I didn't understand. I listened to Carmen in one ear, and everyone else's conversation in the other, listening for a topic which interested me more. I thought about aunt Alice overall. Would she return in time, or would she return _at all_? I missed her and uncle Jasper so, so much. I just wished they could be here with us right now.

"Who's Renata? What does she do?" Momma asked Eleazar. I leaned away from Carmen so I could see around Kate, interested in what they were saying. All of the new names, new people I hadn't yet met.

"Renata is Aro's personal bodyguard," he told her. "A very practical kind of shield, and a very strong one." How was she a shield? She's a person, I assumed, not an object. Was it a mental thing like momma has?

Eleazar explained how her gift worked; shielding them from harm. So momma was a shield as well, I guessed. That's her gift.

"I've never heard of Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted," he said, shaking his head. Who is Jane, I asked myself, asking Daddy through my thoughts, but he didn't answer. But, that means that momma could shield herself from their gifts, yet mine always broke through her shield.

"Momma, you're special," I told her, not really surprised, though. I already knew that she was special; we all did.

Kate and momma talked about something called projecting, like projecting her shield, pushing it out and using it offensively instead of defensively, so could she shield us from the danger the Volturi would bring us.

I looked around the room, the conversation still playing in my ears, I just wasn't paying very close attention. I felt a soft tinge of hope, as though the sun was peaking through the clouds on the horizon, through the dark skies looming over us. I looked at everyone, momma, daddy, Jacob, and the Denali's. Their faces strained with worry, concern, fear, even. I strongly wished to protect them, to keep my family and our friends safe. They would fight with us, though. So, maybe we have a chance.

We all heard the sound of tires turning onto the driveway to the house. Next was Peter and Charlotte, and I won them over just as quickly, showing them my story, our story of how I wasn't an immortal child, and they understood. They're nomads, meaning they don't stay in one place for very long. Everyone hunted out of state for us, since only the Denalis were vegetarian like us. Daddy also lent his cars anytime it was necessary without a wince. I could tell Jacob was upset, though, being around so many non-vegetarian vampries. However, with the circumstances of me and everyone else in acute danger, he stayed quiet.

The next family was from Ireland, the three with a thick Irish accent. Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie. Maggie had a gift for knowing if she was being lied to, and once she told Siobhan and Liam that we were telling the truth, they accepted our story before even seeing my view of it. Amun, Benjamin, and Tia were the ones from Egypt, a place I was told had lots of sand, something I've never seen personally but something I have seen in pictures, and was a large desert. Benjamin was the most enthusiastic of the family, listening to my story and convincing everyone else to stay. Amun and his mate Kebi refused to touch me. I remembered meeting Benjamin outside.

I showed him my story, and without a word, he had taken my hand from his cheek and held it out, palm-side up, with his hand over it. He had a small bit of dirt on my palm, and he lifted his hand from mine, the small pile of earth swirling slowly, rising from my hand as his hand did, like a small tornado, and finally dispersing into the air and being taken by the wind. I watched with great amusement and adoration for his beautiful gift. It also turned out that he could influence air, water, and fire as well as earth. He had a beautiful gift.

Uncle Emmett and aunt Rose sent individual nomands. Garrett came first. He was tall with bright ruby eyes and long sandy hair tied back with a strip of leather. Next was Mary and Randall, friends already, though they didn't travel together: all being won over by me showing them my pictures, my proof that I wasn't an immortal child. I also enjoyed meeting all of the new people, not having nearly as much of the shyness I'd had at the beginning.

Jacob was getting more bad-tempered with each new addition to our witnesses. He kept his distance, but when he couldn't, he'd mumble to me how he would need an index if anyone expected him to keep all the new "bloodsuckers'" names straight. I smiled and laughed softly at his joke, but I didn't like the term her used for my family and our friends, and he immediately agreed to not use it around me.

Grandpa Carlisle and Grandma returned a week after they had let, Uncle Em and aunt Rose following just a few days later, all of us feeling better with their return. One other person came with them; Alistair. A misanthropic English vampire who preferred to wander alone. He, like Amun and Kebi, didn't listen to my story, but took Grandpa Carlisle's word for it.

The next were the Amazons, two very tall cat-like women, wearing nothing but animal skins.

"Zafrina and Senna!" Grandpa greeted them. Zafrina and Senna both listened to my story, being drawn in and joining the group of witnesses just as everyone else did.

It turned out that Zafrina had a gift similar to mine. She could make most people see whatever she wants them to. She had showed daddy something, and he seemed to see something that nobody else could. I wanted to see, too- I reached out fearlessly toward her. "Can I see?" I asked aloud.

"What would you like to see?" she asked, her brilliant white smile shining.

"What you showed daddy."

She nodded as the woods around us outside turned into a warm, humid place, full of trees and vines and animals I've never seen before. I smiled at her as the image faded, "more," I said simply. I was instantly infatuated with the places she showed me.

It was hard to keep me away from Zafrina and her pretty pictures. She kept me entertained as momma and daddy had talked about the fight that would possibly come, and they practiced. Momma was horrible, I heard from uncle Em, which made me laugh a little, but I thought of when she beat him in an arm wrestle, showing it to him and shutting him up.

We were in the meadow, as momma had called it, the air getting slightly cooler with each passing day. I stayed with Jacob, Senna and Zafrina and watched her pictures as they practiced. We would pause for a few minutes, watching as momma, daddy and Kate practiced with momma's shield. Zafrina was showing me one of her pictures, one of a large waterfall from the Amazon, when I heard Kate say my nickname which momma hated.

"Nessie, would you like to come help your mother?" she asked, Momma snarling a quick "no."

I wanted to help, and now I would have my chance to show that I could! We were only a few feet away, and I was in front of momma in seconds. I reached for as she opened her arms. I curled into her, pressing her head into the hollow beneath her shoulder.

"But momma, I _want_ to help." I had my hand against her neck, showing me and her together: a team. She instantly told me "No," backing away as Kate followed us, and momma shifted me onto her back, out of harm's way.

"Can you hear anything from Nessie?" Kate asked daddy a few seconds later, her voice calm and easy.

"No, nothing at all. Now give Bella some space to calm down, Kate. You shouldn't goad her like that. I know she doesn't seem her age, but she's only a few months old," Daddy explained to her. I showed momma the picture of Kate's attack, showing that no harm was meant, that daddy was in on it.

We kept practicing that day, momma stretching her shield over as many people as she could.

We heard new voices eventually, ones nobody seemed to recognize. I was still perched on momma's back as we walked into the house slowly. She pulled me into her arms as she entered the kitchen door, listening, just as I did.

"Bella?" Daddy called to momma in a hard voice, "bring Renesmee here, please. Maybe we should test our Romanian visitors' claims."

"Well, well, Carlisle. You have been naughty, haven't you?" the dark-haired one said as we came into view. He had a very thick accent, Romanian.

"She's not what you think, Stefan."

"And we don't care either way," the blonde one responded. "As we said before."

"Then you're welcome to observe, Vladimir, but it is definitely not our plan to challenge the Volturi, as we said before."

"Then we'll just cross our fingers," Stefan began.

"And hope we get lucky," finished Vladimir.

In the end, we had seventeen witnesses.

I woke up at eight next morning; I had been sleeping in a bit later than usual due to the stress of everything going on, to go to Grandpa Charlie's with Jacob.

"Why can't we take your Ferrari?" Jacob complained, momma and I already in Daddy's volvo.

"Too conspicuous," momma answered. "We could go on foot, but that would freak Charlie out." She had a rather valid point there.

I climbed from momma's lap in the driver's seat to Jacob's on the other side. I knew very well that we had to keep Grandpa Charlie on what momma called a "need-to-know basis." In other words, he couldn't know everything, just the necessary things. He knew I was my mother and father's real daughter, but he didn't need to know the details.

"How are you?" Momma asked Jacob as she pulled out of the garage. I glanced at him as well. I knew my Jacob wasn't doing too well, especially with all of the vampires around.

"How do you think?" he answered bitingly. "I'm sick of all these reeking bloodsuckers." Before momma or I said anything, he continued. "Yeah, I know, I know. They're the good guys, they're here to help, they're going to save us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular."

Momma smiled and nodded, "I don't disagree with you there."

I shook my head but said nothing. I found the Romanians strangely fascinating in how different they are. I spoke aloud for them since they wouldn't let me touch them. I had asked them about how their skin was so different, but after their reply about "gouging the Volturi's eyes from their sockets," momma tried to keep me away from them, no matter how much I'd asked.

We drove there in silence as I stared outside into the cold rain. When we got to grandpa Charlie's, I could tell Sue was there, as well.

"Hey guys! It seems like it's been years! Look at you, Nessie! Come to Grampa! I swear you've grown half a foot. And you look skinny, Ness." He glared at momma. "Aren't they feeding you up there?" Grandpa went on and on as I ran to him, hugging him as he spun me in a circle, landing me back on my feet. I was able to resist his scent and blood with ease at that point.

"It's just a growth spurt," momma muttered. "Hey, Sue," she called over Grandpa's shoulder. I could smell food, but still, I didn't find any food which I had liked. Well, I liked scrambled eggs, but that was it. Our fridge in the cottage was always stocked with eggs. I could also smell pine, like the trees in the woods.

I smiled, but I never spoke in front of grandpa Charlie. I knew it would freak him out, or at the very least, make him uncomfortable.

"Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Where's my son-in-law?"

"Entertaining friends," my Jacob said, then snorted. "You're so lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie, that's all I'm going to say."

"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run," momma said.

Jacob looked at her but said nothing.

"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days, you know."

"Yeah, Christmas shopping." Momma replied. Her mind seemed preoccupied.

"Don't worry, Nessie," Grandpa whispered in my ear, "I got you covered if your mom drops the ball."

"Lunch's on the table," Sue called from inside, "C'mon guys."

Momma said goodbye and left, Jacob, Grandpa and I going to sit at the dinner table. I sat on one side, the table had four sides, and watched as Sue brought ceramic bowls and plates with food on them, sitting them on the table. One had what smelled like chicken, garlic, tomato, and cheese.

"Grilled chicken parmesan today," Sue said. "Do you like chicken, Nessie?" she asked me. Sue was always a very kind woman, and I noticed she and grandpa Charlie together more and more often.

I shrugged in response. I never had chicken before.

"Well, you can try a bite if you want," she smiled at me. "I also made something you might like."

I looked at her curiously as she brought a small bowl over, setting it next to the chicken parmesan.

"Applesauce," Sue said simply, as Jacob and Grandpa took their pieces of chicken. Jacob got two large pieces, while Charlie got only one. Sue sat down and took a piece as well. I looked at Jacob at the same time he looked at me. He cut a small piece off of his chicken Parmesan, making sure to get cheese and tomato sauce with it, and placed it on my plate, grinning supportively at me. I then looked at the bowl of applesauce. I haven't had any apples before, but it was worth a try. I got two spoon fulls on my plate. I took my fork and speared the chicken. It didn't smell too bad. I could smell that it was meat from an animal, all of the blood cooked out. I took a small bite off of it, chewing and swallowing. It didn't taste that bad, but, then again, it didn't taste good, either. Daddy taught me manners, so, since it wasn't horrible, I ate it, smiling and giving Sue a small thumbs up. Her face lit up a bit as she smiled back.

Next was the applesauce. I picked up my spoon and scooped some of it up. It smelled sweet, like cinnamon, sugar, and fruit. I took a little bite of it, and I actually liked it a little. I ate all that was on my plate. Everyone was done eating, also. Grandpa and Sue were the first to get up, taking the paper plates and throwing them in the trash, and filling the sink up with soapy water to put the silverware in.

"That was great, Sue. Nice job," Jacob grinned at Sue, getting up as I did. I nodded in agreement and smiled at her. I went into the living room, Jacob following, and looked at the pine tree. It was set in some type of metal base which had water in it. It also had lights of many different colors- red, blue, green, white, yellow, and orange- strung around it. The tree had small ornaments and plastic balls of different colors scattered about it, with a yellow and white star sitting at the top. Some of the small ornaments looked older than the others. I smiled, pointing to the tree as Jacob bent down. I placed my hand on his cheek. Pretty tree, I said, showing him a picture of the tree.

Jacob smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty, Nessie. Not as pretty as you, though, kid." I smiled back at him.

The sunlight streaming through the windows slowly faded to dark as it became night. I fell asleep on the couch while everyone watched the game.

I yawned, sitting up and stretching in my bed, at home in the cottage. I looked at the wooden clock on my wall; it was nine A.M., Christmas morning. I had never experienced the holiday before, or any, for that matter, but I knew it was always on December 25th. Aunt Rose had tried telling me that a large man named Santa Claus fit down a chimney and left presents under a decorated pine tree. I knew it was fake, and that Santa wasn't real, and she knew, too. I liked the story, though. Grandpa Carlisle also told me the religious story, which was interesting to me.

I heard a knock at my door, thinking _come in_ to daddy, knowing he would hear. He and momma came in, a small box wrapped in shiny green paper in momma's hand. I loved shiny things, they must have known that; the tiny, glittering object caught my eye.

"Merry Christmas, Renesmee," momma smiled at me, her and daddy walking across the room and sitting beside me on my bed. I smiled and nodded, placing my hand on momma's cheek, _Merry Christmas._ Both of their eyes were shining the warmest, lightest gold I'd ever seen. Well, momma's were still tinged with a soft shade of ruby, but light nonetheless.

Momma handed me the small shiny box, setting it on my lap, and daddy had one, too, this one also wrapped in shiny green paper. His present joined momma's on my lap.

"You can open them now, just rip the paper," he said, nodding towards the small boxes. I glanced up at them curiously. _The shiny boxes aren't the present? They're really beautiful._ Daddy laughed, shaking his head, telling me it was inside the sparkly box.

I nodded in return, picking up the one daddy had given me. I didn't want to rip the shiny paper wrapped neatly around my present, so I turned it over and carefully peeled the tape back, and setting the paper next to me in a neatly folded square. I silently wished that I'd gotten or made them something, also.

"Don't throw it away, please," I said, looking at the small black box in my hands, "the paper's pretty."

I opened the little box, seeing a small rectangular metal object, things that I knew as headphones sitting under the thing.

"What.. is it?" I asked daddy, confused.

"It's an MP3 player. It has some songs on it that you can listen to anytime. Here," Daddy explained, taking the MP3 player out of the box and showing me how to turn it on, off, and how to pick songs. He put five thousand songs on it already, all songs that daddy liked, songs that I liked also. I closed the box, the pretty paper inside of it, and handed it to daddy. The little electronic seemed really interesting. I was amazed by how many songs fit on one tiny thing.

"Can I keep the paper? And can I listen to that at grandpa Charlie's?" I asked him, and he nodded. "Yes, of course," he said, setting the box next to him. I looked at momma's gift.

I slowly and carefully took the paper off of this one as well, revealing a smaller, red velvet box with small golden writing on it. It read some cursive name. I opened it, and smiled noticing the golden oval necklace with the family crest on the font. Momma took it, opening the locket which had handwriting on the left and a picture of her and Daddy on the right.

"P _lus que ma propre vie_ ," Momma read, "It means, 'more than my own life." I smiled at her, hugging both her and daddy.

"Thank you so much," I said simply. Momma closed the locket and dropped it in my hands. I took each end in one hand and put it around my neck, but I couldn't seem to get the clasp. Momma chuckled softly, taking them from my hands and closing it for me.

I thought to daddy, _when are we going to Grandpa Charlie's for Christmas?_ And he replied, "In about an hour, at ten." I nodded an OK as he and momma got up, leaving my room and closing the door softly, to get ready to head to Grandpa's.

I was at my closet in seconds, picking out a simple yet pretty red dress along with white tights. I got dressed quickly and stood in front of my mirror, brushing my hair out. I clipped some strands in the front back with two little dragonfly clips aunt Rose had given me. I then went back and sat on my bed, putting my headphones in and picking a song at random. I knew it already; Divenire by Ludovido Einaudi, just as the title on my MP3 player said. I didn't need the volume any higher than the lowest setting since my ears could pick up the sound very easily. I looked at my clock again; nine thirty-six. It only took about eight minutes to drive to Grandpa Charlie's, but I knew Daddy would want to leave a bit early. I got up and shut my MP3 player off, putting my jacket on and putting it in the pocket.

I opened my door and closed it lightly as I exited my room, walking to the door where my parents waited, with daddy holding Grandpa's present under his arm.

The drive to Grandpa Charlie's was quiet as I listened to one song, putting my MP3 player back into my pocket as we pulled into the driveway. I'd begun to love the small device.

At Grandpa's, my Jacob gave me a small, hand-braided bracelet. It held many colors, but the few that were in it most were sandy brown, blood red, chocolate brown, and a pale red color, almost pink. I had thanked him and told him how beautiful I thought it was, giving him a hug. Daddy gritted his teeth at the bracelet, but momma and I didn't have the negative reaction he did. I didn't know why, either. When Grandpa received his gift from us, I knew what the tickets were so he wouldn't be here during the fight that may happen.

That night, momma set up a tent for me to sleep in near the meadow. The winter chill didn't bother me much, the temperature still in the low double digits. Not many spoke that night, either. The next morning, I knew we might all face our deaths.

(A.N~~~~ Guys, I'm skipping ahead a little to the gathering in the meadow, which'll lead into the Volturi scene. :) )

I awoke that morning in the tent with Momma. Jacob had left to join the others in the meadow earlier. She helped me dress in an outfit she had picked out, something frilly and pretty, yet sturdy and tough. She then did something I didn't expect; she put over my jacket a black leather backpack, something I'd never seen before. I was strong enough that the weight of it didn't bother me. I understood that she wanted me to run away, if it came to a fight. My eyes were wide as I read the agony on her face, confirming my thoughts.

"I love you," momma said, her eyes showing her deep sadness. "More than anything."

"I love you, too, momma," I answered aloud- I knew how much she loved when I did so. I touched the locket at my neck, which now held a photo of me, her, and daddy. "We'll always be together."

"In our hearts we'll always be together," she corrected in a quiet whisper. I wanted to disagree, but she was right. "But when the time comes today, you have to leave me."

My eyes widened as I touched my hand to her cheek, shouting a silent _no._ No way. Never.

"Will you do it for me? Please?" Momma asked, her voice strained. It was hard for her, too.

I pressed my fingers harder to her marble face, asking her _why._

"I can't tell you," she whispered, a soft break in her voice. I knew that if she could cry, she would. "But you'll understand soon. I promise."

I showed her Jacob's face, then. Did he know? If I had to leave her, would Jacob be coming with me?

She pulled my fingers away from her face and nodded. "Don't think of it. Don't tell Jacob until I tell you to run, okay?" I understood and nodded in return. I wanted so badly to refuse, but I couldn't.

Momma then took from her pocket the gold necklace she had received from Aro, fastening it around her neck.

"Pretty," I whispered, talking about the large diamond at the end of it. It shined in the sunlight. Then I wrapped my arms around momma's neck, hugging her tightly. She wrapped her arms around me and carried me out to the clearing this way.

Daddy put his arms around us for one long moment and then, with a deep sigh, let us go. I forced the thought of running away, away. We took our place as I climbed from momma's arms onto her back, leaving her hands free.

I feared for all of my family. Everyone here, my Aunt and Uncle, still not back, the witnesses, the wolves, and simply everyone on our side. I wanted to cry, to fight alongside everyone, but I didn't, I stayed strong. Momma let me down and I stood at her side, holding both her and Daddy's hands as Jacob, the large russet wolf, came from the forest behind us to stand at momma's side. I glanced over and up at his big, dark brown wolf eyes, and he looked at me in return. His furry face held too many emotions for me to read.

We waited as the Volturi slowly emerged from the other side of the clearing.

The large mass of vampires in black cloaks- the Volturi- advanced slowly. They stopped about 20 yards away. The three main people in the front of the formation I knew were Aro, Caius, and Marcus. Next to them were Jane, Alec, and Demitri. I squeezed momma's hand lightly as I heard a low growl come from Jacob. Grandpa walked to a few feet in front of us, talking in a casual tone. As he spoke, the Volturi's different scents reached my nose. They smelled different, like incense smoke and spice. They didn't have a sweet smell at all, though, like most of the good vampires did, and they had the red eyes.

"Aro, there is no danger here. We do not intend to fight," he said.

"I can see the young newborn child, Carlisle," Aro said.

"She is not an immortal!" Grandpa said, raising his voice a bit as he turned, gesturing to me with his hand. "See the rush of blood in her cheeks, hear her heartbeat! See for yourselves."

"Ah, yes, hear the child's unusual heart, brothers," Aro spoke, a slight look of fascination appearing on his face.

However, I can also see the battalion you have massed to protect her," Caius said, a look of fascination appearing on his face.

"Witnesses, Caius, just as you have assembled. Any of these friends can tell you the truth about the child. Or you could just look at her-" Grandpa, said, cut off by Caius.

"Artifice!" He snapped in a whisper. "And where is the informer?"

Irina slowly stepped beside the three of them, a look of fear on her face. I could tell that her eyes were on her sisters behind me.

"Is this the child you saw?" Caius demanded. I watched silently as Irina looked at me for the first time since she had seen me in the clearing.

"Yes.. No.. I'm not sure," she said, confused. "She's not the same. She's changed. This child is bigger than the one I saw."

"This is exactly what I am trying to explain," Grandpa said, slight relief in his voice. This would be our chance to explain.

Aro put his hand up as Caius hissed, "I _will_ have every facet of the truth. As the child clings to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward is involved," Aro said, looking towards daddy.

Daddy kissed my and momma's foreheads and strode across the field. Esme whimpered softly, her terror and fear finally breaking through. Jane smiled at daddy, and he stopped, a look of agony crossing his face as he fell to his knees. I stood frozen, seeing my father in pain, seeing what Jane's 'gift' was. But a second later, I knew momma had put her shield around him, and he stood back up. Aro looked startled as daddy continued crossing the clearing, stopping a foot or two in front of him.

He held out his hand and Aro took it, closing his eyes as he took in the information from daddy's mind. A few seconds passed and he dropped Daddy's hand.

"You see?" He asked, his voice calm.

"Yes, I see, indeed," Aro agreed, sounding amused. "May I meet her?" he asked, almost pleading with interest.

Daddy turned back toward us, nodding at momma and I. Momma squeezed my hand very lightly as she, Jacob and I began to walk forward. She looked behind us, nodding at uncle Emmett to come with us, and he did. I heard Jacob's low growl as we walked across the clearing. We stopped in front of daddy, Aro, and a few others.

"Ah, Bella, immortality suits you," Aro smiled, then his sinister red eyes settled on my face. "She's exquisite, much like you and Edward.. Hello, Renesmee."

I looked at momma, not sure if I should reply, but she nodded. I had to gulp, a small amount of fear in my chest.

"Hello, Aro," I answered formally. Aro's eyes were bemused.

"Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human," Aro said, amusement filling his tone.

"Impossible," Caius scoffed.

Aro turned, looking at Caius, "do you think they've fooled me, then, brother?" Caius simply scowled in return.

Aro held out has hand as invitation, wanting me to show him my side of everything. But I didn't want this; I leaned forward, touching my fingertips to Aro's cheek, showing him everything. I even asked him not to harm my family, the werewolves included. He smiled, "brilliant," he whispered.

"Please?" I asked softly.

"Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee," he said in a charming and affectionate voice. I didn't know whether or not to believe him.

They continued to discuss the wolves, and I heard Jacob and the others snarl softly.

"So much to discuss," Aro said in a serious tone. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens, I must confer with my brothers."

We all slowly backed away, momma and daddy holding my hands tightly and Jacob and Emmett flanking us protectively.

We waited only a few seconds, and then I heard Caius call Irina again.

"So it appears that your allegations were false," he said, as the look of fear came across her face again.

"Yes. This child is not immortal. I was wrong, and I accept full responsibility for my actions. The Cullens are innocent," she said, and turned to us, mouthed, "I'm sorry."

In an instant, a flame was lit and a three of the guard leaped forward. A horrible screeching sound filled my ears, causing me to shut my eyes. I reopened them when the noise stopped, and from behind the three that had caused the noise, I saw a small fire, light purple smoke rising from it.

They had killed Irina. I was in shock at that- I'd never seen anyone actually die. It wasn't something I'd ever want to see ever again.

In an instant, Tanya and Kate tried to attack them. We all tried to stop them, and only Garrett could hold Kate back, Eleazar had Tanya. Daddy looked toward Zafrina and suddenly the sisters' eyes looked distant.

"Give me my sight back!" Tanya shouted, her eyes darting in different directions, but not seeing anything.

"It's too late to help her," Daddy urged. "This is what they want!"

They calmed down and were let go as they stood next to each other again.

After a few more silent seconds, Aro turned around, facing us once more.

"She _is_ unique," he said, looking at all of us, his crimson eyes settling on me, then to the entire group again. "But there _is_ danger, danger that simply cannot be ignored. We _cannot_ know what she will grow to be. Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is... a vulnerability."

Garrett then spoke, a long speech, very interesting. After, Aro, Caius, and Marcus turned to eachother again.

Momma carefully lifted me onto Jacob's shoulders, and whispered, "remember what I told you?"

I nodded, tears welling in my eyes. "I love you," I whispered back.

"I love you, too," she said, touching my locket. "More than my own life." Momma kissed my forehead as Jacob whined uneasily. She waited until the Volturi were distracted, then whispered in Jacob's ear the plans for how we would run once she told us. I reached my arms out for Daddy as he hugged me tightly. I then fitted myself into a spot between Jacob's shoulder blades, taking handfuls of his fur.

"I know you can protect her, Jacob," Momma whispered, and Jacob whined, dipping his head and butting it against her shoulder.

"I know, I love you too, Jake. You'll always be my best man."

A tear rolled into the russet fur beneath my Jacob's eye, and I tried to soothingly pat the fur on the back of his neck.

Suddenly, after a few moments of silence, Daddy spoke.

"Why don't you join us, Alice?" At this, my face lit up, and I was unable to stop the smile that tugged on the corners of my lips, and I looked to daddy, then around the clearing. Many voices, including that of Aro's, were heard murmuring, "Alice!"

Aunt Alice walked into the clearing from the southwest, uncle Jasper following a few inches behind her. There were three others, tan skinned vampires, following behind her. Two women, and a young man, not vampire, but not human.

He must be a hybrid, too. I could hear his heartbeat, that of a hummingbird, just like mine. I instantly felt something in my chest feel better, knowing that I wasn't the only one, and I wasn't so different after all.

Then, I heard the voice of my aunt that I missed so dearly. "I have proof that the child will not be a danger to our kind," she said, calling the boy and one woman forward, the other joining Senna and Zafrina. Her name was Kachiri.

Aro took Alice's hand, his eyes widening as he saw her visions. He then released Alice's hand as she gestured to Huilen and Nahuel.

"This is Huilen, and her nephew, Nahuel."

Huilen and Nahuel explained their story. Huilen had been created, too. A man getting his mother pregnant, but he had run off, and Nahuel had killed his mother when she gave birth to him. He said how he knew of two sisters he had, also created by his father, trying to create some "super human" race. And, after his birth, his aunt Huilen raised him as her own, and he bit her, turning her immortal as well. I wondered how he was venomous and I was not. Was it only boys which were venomous?

"How old are you?" Momma called out to Nahuel.

"About one hundred and fifty years old," he said. "Give or take a decade. We don't keep track."

"And you reached maturity as what age?" Aro asked him.

"About seven years after my birth, I was full grown."

"You have not changed since then?"

"Not that I've noticed."

Momma, daddy and I smiled at eachother. I felt a soft rumbling from Jacob's chest. I think he was purring, knowing that I wouldn't live as short a life as we thought. Things were looking up, seeming hopeful.

"And your diet?" Aro pressed, very interested.

"Mostly blood, but some human food, too. I can survive on either."

"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro asked, gesturing to Hulen.

"Yes, but none of the other can." So his sisters couldn't do that, either. It must be based on gender.

The Volturi said how they would search for Joham, Nahuel's biological father, and his sisters. But Nauhel insisted that they not harm his sisters, for they had done no harm.

Aro nodded, then turned to his guard.

"Dear ones," he called. "We do not fight today."

The guard widened and began to dissipate, as Aro turned back to us, holding his hands out apologetically.

"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," he said sweetly. "My friend, Carlisle- how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the burden our duty puts on our shoulders."

"Leave in peace," Grandpa said stiffly. "Please keep from hunting in this region, also."

"Of course," Aro nodded. "I am sorry to earn your disapproval. Perhaps in time you will forgive me."

"Perhaps, if you prove a friend to us again," Carlisle said.

Aro bowed his head and drifted backward for a moment, turning around and disappearing into the trees.

It was very quiet for a few monents. We all hesitated until the footsteps of the Volturi grew silent.

"Is it really over?" Momma whispered.

"Yes. They've given up," Daddy smiled for the first time in months.

Alice laughed. "Seriously people, they're not coming back. Everybody can relax now." A large happy smile lit up my face as I suddenly felt relieved.

"Of all the rotten luck," Stefan muttered.

And then the cheers began. The pack howled, the couples kissed, the Amazons stood close, their hands locked, Garrett picked Kate up off the ground and swung her around in a circle, Stefan and Vladimir ground their teeth together with a sour expression.

Momma half-climbed Jacob to hug me tightly to her chest, daddy hugging the both of us. The feeling of relief washed over all of us.

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie," Momma said to me.

Jacob laughed and momma mumbled a light "shut up" to him. Suddenly I had the one question left.

"I get to stay with you?" I demanded, glancing at their warm, loving eyes.

"Forever," momma promised, both her and daddy hugging me. I knew that I would live forever with them, too. I would age to adulthood at seven years, I would survive and live with my wonderful family.

"Forever," Daddy whispered in momma's ear, then they kissed. I patted Jacob lightly on his furry russet cheek, and he barked a laugh again, running to join his pack and howling in unison as he ran with them. I hugged both my parents tightly.

We all ran back to the big house, and said our goodbyes outside. The last two to leave were Senna, Zafrina and Kachiri.

"You must bring the child to see me," Zafrina said to momma. "Promise me, young one."

I pressed my hand to Momma neck, asking for her to promise to take me into the Amazon there sometime. I showed her the beautiful setting and the animals from my memory.

"Of course, Zafrina," Momma agreed, smiling at me.

"We shall be great friends, my Nessie," she said to me, before leaving with her sisters. I agreed that we would.

After the goodbyes were said and everyone had left, I fell asleep in momma's arms. For the first time, none of my dreams had a single tinge of worry or fear. I slept soundly the entire night. Momma was right, we would all be together forever.


	6. Chapter 6

(Woo! After all of the tenseness, this chapter will be a light-hearted fluffy filler. Hope you guys like it! The next few chapters will skip a few months to a year or two in time, also. Thanks for reading!)

The first day after the Volturi had left was the first carefree day in a long time. We even knew how I would grow, and also that I was going to live forever, too! I awoke that morning at our cottage. Before I could sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes, both of my parents were in my room, beaming. Momma lifted me into her arms, planting kisses all over my face. The chill never bothered me, it never would. I responded with a giggle and pressed my palm to her neck, telling her good morning.

"Morning, Nessie," she didn't seem to mind the nickname anymore- in fact, she seemed to take to it pretty quick, just like everyone else. Daddy was next to us in an instant, his expression bright as well.

"Ready for breakfast?" Momma handed me into my father's arms. Before I could respond, my stomach growled. They both chuckled. "I think that's a yes."

I had a cup of blood for breakfast- a treat, usually, but sort of a mini celebration for yesterday, my parents chatting in the kitchen as I ate. I knew we would hunt animals next time. I practically wrinkled my nose at the thought, but at least I could play a game with Jacob while we hunted.

"What's the plan for today, Mrs. Cullen?" Daddy joked.

"Well, Jake's probably on his way over to see Renesmee," momma noted. "But we could go over to the main house for the day, relax after everything that's gone on all day." Daddy nodded, a crooked grin on his face.

"Sounds like a plan to me." I nodded, too. It would be nice to just spend the day with my family and my Jacob. And that's just what we did.

I sat in the living room on aunt Rose's lap as she played with my hair. It had already been brushed, but she decided it seemed too plain for the day. It still felt relaxing to have my hair brushed or played with. My eyes, however, were on the TV as uncle Em and Jacob watched some kind of sports game. Emmett was loudly cheering every time his team scored, of course. My eyes settled on my grandparents in the kitchen, hovering over the counter. Grandma had been planning to build some type of greenhouse, and grandpa was helping her sketch out the design of the little building. Grandma wanted to grow flowers and plants, she said it made her happy. That sounded fun. I glanced at my parents, who were chatting quietly to themselves, amused by my uncle's outbursts as well. Uncle Jasper was hunting while aunt Alice was shopping for clothes for myself and the others, too.

Aunt Rose finished my hair; pulling the two front pieces out of my face with butterfly clips, and braiding two tiny pieces, clipped at the back of my hair with another butterfly clip. I liked the shimmery clips. I glanced out the window as she was finishing up, humming softly to me. Large snowflakes were blowing in a gentle breeze, a few inches having already landed on the ground. Then the idea popped into my head; a movie I'd seen at grandpa Charlie's around Christmastime, children playing in the snow and building a snow man. I turned around in my aunt's lap, touching my hand to her cheek. She smiled.

"That sounds like a lot of fun, Ness. Why don't you ask Jacob and your parents to play outside with you?" Her smile warmed my heart. I nodded.

"Thank you for doing my hair, aunt Rose. It's really pretty," I spoke aloud, grinning in return, before hopping from her laugh and walking over to my parents. Daddy had heard my thoughts, a big grin on his face as he picked me up and sat me on his lap. It still wasn't often that I wasn't held by somebody.

"Why don't you tell your mother about your idea?" He encouraged in a soft chuckle.

"What is it?" She questioned, her now butterscotch eyes warm. Momma took my hand into hers, and I showed her the four of us (my Jacob, momma, daddy, and myself) running in the snow, building a snow man. She laughed lovingly.

"Of course we can go play in the snow. Jake?"

My Jacob looked over, still laughing from a conversation with Emmett. "Yeah, Bells?"

"Nessie wants to go play in the snow. You coming?"

"Of course!" He was immediately in front of us, scooping me into his warm arms, a comfortable temperature change.

After putting on a warm coat, a pair of gloves, and boots, we were outside in the snow. It didn't feel too cold to me, just a mild chill, but the snow would make me cold, they assured. First, I decided to make snow angels. I flopped onto my back in the soft snow, moving my arms and legs to make an angel. Jacob joined me, doing just the same. After standing back up, snow sticking to my back and hair, I observed our angels and laughed. Mine was so tiny compared to my Jacob's. My parent's laughed as well, and Jacob couldn't help but join in.

Next, I wanted to build a snow man, but I had no idea how. Jacob reassured me that him and his sisters used to make them all the time, and momma did, too. She waved daddy over to help, as well.

"I used to build snowmen too, you know. It was a long time ago," he laughed, "but it was pretty fun."

All three of them helped gather the snow to make the base of the snowman. Momma and daddy didn't get cold, and Jacob really didn't either. The only difference was that the snow on his skin melted quickly, while theirs didn't. The snowman was pretty large, the bottom part at least two feet tall.

After building the base of the snowman, Jacob and I were to make the middle part. We took a big snowball and rolled it around in the snow, packing it down. Jacob lifted it and sat it on top of the other part, his warm hands beginning to melt hand prints into the big snowball.

Momma made the head while we were making the middle part, setting it on the top. They already had the decorations covered. Momma lifted me into her arms so I could reach easily, and daddy handed me a carrot. I stuck it in, giving the snowman a nose. Then two rocks, substituting for coal. Then smaller rocks, pebbles from the driveway, for a smile. Funnily enough, daddy had grabbed a hat and scarf for it. I gave Jacob those and insisted that he dress the snowman up, and he gladly did. I leaped from momma's arms, flipping once and landing on my feet- I loved doing that, and I ran through the snow to one of the nearby trees. My fingers grasped instantly onto two fallen twigs, turning and running back. I stuck them in his sides, the final touch- arms. We stood back and laughed. It looked really good, and was one of the most fun things we'd done in weeks.

Of course, pictures were necessary. A few of all of us, Jacob and I with the snowman, my parents and I, me with each of my parents, and me alone, standing next to the snowman that was nearly twice my height.

They weren't wrong about the snow making me cold over time. Before I could shiver, we went inside. I got into warm, dry clothes and sat on the couch huddled up next to my Jacob, stealing his heat.

"You think you'd wanna try something sweet?" Momma asked. I raised an eyebrow. What was she talking about?

"She doesn't understand what you mean," daddy informed her.

"Oh! Hot chocolate. Its a sweet, warm drink. I liked it a lot when I was still human. Wanna give it a try?" She seemed excited. I was hesitant- human food, _ick_ , but I would try it. In less than five minutes momma left and returned with a red mug, small waves of steam rising from it. I took it into my hands, the warmth soothing my chilled hands. I sniffed it, eyeing my seemingly amused parents. I knew they, and my Jacob as well, were excited to try another human food with me. They wanted me to like it, but I was more than content drinking blood.

I took a sip.

It was.. actually.. good? The first thing I tasted was the sugar on my tongue- which was almost as nice as blood. Then the chocolate, which I'd realized in that moment that I could eat chocolate and nothing other than that for the rest of my life, and do so happily. My dad laughed harder than I'd ever heard. Momma and Jacob seemed confused. I swallowed and spoke aloud.

Simply, "I love chocolate." Everyone in the room laughed.

"Well, she _is_ technically a kid." Jacob noted, still chuckling. I narrowed my eyes slightly at him, sipping my drink again.

Before I knew it, it was growing dark outside, and I was becoming tired.

"Hm, usually sugar and chocolate makes kids bounce off the walls," Jacob joked. I made a face. "I know, I know. You're not a little kid," he grinned, smoothing my hair.

We went home, after that. Momma and I read- but mainly she read to me. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

Today was a wonderful day.


End file.
